Figure 2.

Mitohormetic effects of acute aerobic exercise. While there are broad effects of aerobic exercise that extend beyond mitohormesis, there are several mechanisms in which an acute stress improves health and skeletal muscle function. Through the stress response pathways indicated here, aerobic exercise stimulates myofibrillar protein synthesis, antioxidant expression, and mitochondrial biogenesis, as well as enhancing protein folding capacity. This translates broadly to improved redox homeostasis, mitochondrial function, and proteostasis. Altogether, these adaptive responses translate to enhanced skeletal muscle health and function.