Exercise as Medicine

The Potential of Exerkines as Therapeutics

When we exercise, our muscles, liver, fat, bones, and heart release chemical messengers called exerkines. These molecules help explain why physical activity protects against heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and other chronic conditions. Scientists are now investigating whether exerkines could become medicines for people unable to exercise due to disability, frailty, or illness.

Explore Exerkines → Evidence Dashboard →
35 Exerkines reviewed Signaling molecules from muscle, liver, fat & more
6 Therapeutic domains Cardiovascular, metabolic, neuro, MSK & more
4 Translational tiers From emerging science to clinical validation
577 PubMed citations Primary references curated for this review

Translational Readiness

Each exerkine is classified into one of four tiers based on the maturity of its therapeutic evidence, from early discovery through to clinically validated interventions.

Tier 1
Clinically Validated
Approved drugs or Phase 3+ trials with strong human evidence
IL‑6, IGF‑1, VEGF, BHB
Tier 2
Clinical Trials
Active Phase 1–2 trials; robust translational data in humans
NRG, GDNF, Follistatin, Lac‑Phe, GDF15, BDNF, IC7Fc, Lactate, Klotho
Tier 3
Preclinical
Promising animal model results; human trials not yet started
Irisin, FSTL1, ELA, Apelin, Adiponectin, Decorin, KYNA, Clusterin, HSP72, BAIBA, Fractalkine, Omentin
Tier 4
Emerging
Early-stage discovery; mechanism and feasibility under study
Myonectin, Lubricin, PF4, TGF‑β2, VIP, CO, CTSB, GPLD1, FGF2, SeP

For healthy individuals who can be physically active, this is a reminder of something remarkable: the molecular symphony that exercise triggers across every organ is available to everyone, every day, and no pill is likely to match it.