{"id":5240,"date":"2023-07-01T04:23:50","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T21:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5240"},"modified":"2023-07-01T04:23:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T21:23:50","slug":"why-are-myokines-called-hope-molecules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5240","title":{"rendered":"Why Are Myokines Called &#8216;Hope Molecules&#8217;?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">I<\/span>t is a fact that exercise makes you happy, and happy people just don\u2019t shoot their husbands, they just don\u2019t. (Well, by &#8220;fact,&#8221; we mean <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Coemj2qdWMw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Coemj2qdWMw\">a fantastic legal argument from Elle Woods,<\/a> but we digress&#8230;) But why does exercise have that happiness-inducing effect? Researchers are getting a better understanding of the answer to that question, and it could come down to a type of molecule called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/myokines-exercise\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/myokines-exercise\/\">myokines<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>Previously, endorphins have been the star of the show for the connection between exercise and mood: A good sweat session will cause a release of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/endorphins-and-exercise\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/endorphins-and-exercise\/\">endorphins<\/a>, which are neurochemicals produced in the pituitary gland that react with opiate receptors, meaning they make you feel really good. Working out also stimulates the production of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-increase-serotonin\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-increase-serotonin\/\">serotonin<\/a> and norphenylephrine, which are other happiness, wellbeing, and pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters.<\/p>\n<p>These mood-boosting stimulations would probably be enough to give you that post-yoga glow. But there\u2019s something even more going on.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers have come to understand that when our muscles contract, they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5666622\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5666622\/\">produce substances that get dispersed throughout the body<\/a>. Some of these are chains of amino acids called myokines, and they are able to cross the blood-brain barrier\u2014which means they can act on your brain. And when they get there, they improve brain function.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeveral myokines\u2014irisin, hydroxybutyrate, etc.\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/myokines-exercise\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/myokines-exercise\/\">have been shown to stimulate neuronal function and facilitate synapses<\/a>, which are the way neurons communicate with each other,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lourencolab.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.lourencolab.org\/\">Mychael Vinicius Lourenco, PhD<\/a>, an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, who co-authored a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0028390821002999#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0028390821002999#\">review of research around myokines and brain function<\/a>, previously told Well+Good.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hope-molecules\/\" current-title=\"It\u2019s Not Just Endorphins\u2014\u2018Hope Molecules\u2019 Could Also Be Why You Feel So Good After Exercising\" current-image=\"hope-molecules-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2022-12-30\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hope-molecules\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hope-molecules\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hope-molecules\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That includes potentially &#8220;mediating the beneficial actions of physical exercise in the brain,&#8221; Lourenco and his co-authors write in the review. As a potential example, assisting with neuron communication could mean that myokines are helping those feel-good messages being sent by endorphins, serotonin, and norphenylephrine be heard.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond just helping your brain do its job better, researchers also think that myokines could actually be a bulwark against depression. This has led to the substances garnering the name \u201chope molecules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2016, physical therapy and psychiatry researchers writing in the journal <em>Physical Therapy<\/em> were reviewing <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ptj\/article\/96\/4\/581\/2686531?login=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ptj\/article\/96\/4\/581\/2686531?login=false\">research on the connection between exercise and depression<\/a>. They referenced a <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25259918\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25259918\/\">2014 study on mice<\/a> in which mice with lower levels of a certain type of myokine exhibit less resilience under stress than those mice with higher levels of the myokine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter a significant amount of stress, the mice appeared to \u2018lose hope,\u2019 as evidenced by their decreased survival efforts during forced swimming (an indicator of depression),\u201d the\u00a0authors write. \u201cAltogether, these results suggest that the release of \u2018hope molecules\u2019 from the skeletal muscles of rodents influence mood disorder symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While we can&#8217;t necessarily extrapolate the findings from studies on mice to humans, both species share some underlying biology that might cause myokines to work in a similar way. Namely, these myokines could <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30649918\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30649918\/\">inhibit a neurotransmitter pathway<\/a>\u00a0that, when it\u2019s overactive, is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4482796\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4482796\/\">linked with depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This was compelling enough for Stanford University psychologist\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/kellymcgonigal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/kellymcgonigal.com\/\">Kelly McGonigal<\/a>, the author of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB07Q4LY2CV%2Fref%3Das_li_tl%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx8918-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.wellandgood.com%252Fhope-molecules%252F%26asc_source%3Ddirect%26asc_campaign%3Dno-campaign&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhope-molecules%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B07Q4LY2CV\/ref=as_li_tl\"><em>The Joy of Movement<\/em><\/a>, to take notice of the study, and popularize the term. \u201cHope molecules,\u201d McGonigal previously said on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=767699447046960\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=767699447046960\">Rich Roll podcast<\/a>, could be like \u201can intravenous dose of hope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s not just an endorphin rush,\u201d McGonigal says on the podcast. \u201cYou go for a walk or a run or you lift weights and your muscles contract and they secrete these proteins into your bloodstream. They travel to your brain, they cross the blood-brain barrier. And in your brain, they can act as an antidepressant. Like irisin [a myokine] can make your brain more resilient to stress. They increase motivation. They help you learn from experience. And the only way you get these chemicals is by using your muscles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even if research is still developing for how exactly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-can-working-out-help-mental-health\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-can-working-out-help-mental-health\/\">exercise boosts mood and mental health<\/a>, the link between exercise and wellbeing has never been clearer. Two recent meta-analyses on the effects of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bjsm.bmj.com\/content\/early\/2023\/02\/14\/bjsports-2022-106282\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/bjsm.bmj.com\/content\/early\/2023\/02\/14\/bjsports-2022-106282\">exercise in adults<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/37333923\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/37333923\/\">exercise in kids<\/a>\u00a0have found it to be an effective bulwark against depression.<\/p>\n<p>What with our emerging understanding of myokines, and the undeniable benefits of exercise, there\u2019s never been a more compelling reason to take your medicine: A dose of movement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is a fact that exercise makes you happy, and happy people just don\u2019t shoot their husbands, they just don\u2019t. (Well, by &#8220;fact,&#8221; we mean a fantastic legal argument from Elle Woods, but we digress&#8230;) But why does exercise have that happiness-inducing effect? Researchers are getting a better understanding of the answer to that question, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}