Figure:

Exercise-induced mitophagy. Schematic presentation of exercise-induced mitophagy and its role in mitochondrial quality control by exercise training. A gradient difference in mitochondrial color from green, yellow to red represents healthy, stressed and damaged and/or dysfunctional mitochondria. A) The mitochondrial reticulum in the sedentary muscle exhibits energetic/oxidative stress in some regions; B) Acute exercise induces further mitochondrial stress and initiates the processes of removing damaged/dysfunctional regions of the reticulum through mitochondrial fission and mitophagy; and C) Long-term exercise training results in improved mitochondrial quality.