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Muscles and their myokines
Pedersen BK.. The Journal of experimental biology, 2011-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
In the past, the role of physical activity as a life-style modulating factor has been considered as that of a tool to balance energy intake. Although it is important to avoid obesity, physical inactivity should be discussed in a much broader context. There is accumulating epidemiological evidence that a physically active life plays an independent role in the protection against type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, dementia and even depression. For most of the last century, researchers sought a link between muscle contraction and humoral changes in the form of an 'exercise factor', which could be released from skeletal muscle during contraction and mediate some of the exercise-induced metabolic changes in other organs such as the liver and the adipose tissue. We have suggested that cytokines or other peptides that are produced, expressed and released by muscle fibres and exert autocrine, paracrine or endocrine effects should be classified as 'myokines'. Given that skeletal muscle is the largest organ in the human body, our discovery that contracting skeletal muscle secretes proteins sets a novel paradigm: skeletal muscle is an endocrine organ producing and releasing myokines, which work in a hormone-like fashion, exerting specific endocrine effects on other organs. Other myokines work via paracrine mechanisms, exerting local effects on signalling pathways involved in muscle metabolism. It has been suggested that myokines may contribute to exercise-induced protection against several chronic diseases.
Key findings
- We have suggested that cytokines or other peptides that are produced, expressed and released by muscle fibres and exert autocrine, paracrine or endocrine effects should be classified as 'myokines'.
- It has been suggested that myokines may contribute to exercise-induced protection against several chronic diseases.
Why it matters
This review notes accumulating epidemiological evidence that a physically active life plays an independent role in protection against several conditions including dementia, and proposes that muscle-released myokines may contribute to this protection. It reports no tested treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of experimental biology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Experimental Biology: journal h-index 282 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2011 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 670 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 39.4 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 30.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 100 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Bente Klarlund Pedersen: h-index 151 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Rigshospitalet: institution h-index 882 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21177953) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1242/jeb.048074
- PubMed: 21177953
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Experimental Biology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Pedersen, B. K. (2011). Muscles and their myokines. The Journal of experimental biology. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.048074
Vancouver
Pedersen BK. Muscles and their myokines. The Journal of experimental biology. 2011. doi:10.1242/jeb.048074. PMID: 21177953.
BibTeX
@article{pedersen2011-21177953,
author = {Pedersen, B. K.},
title = {{Muscles and their myokines}},
journal = {The Journal of experimental biology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1242/jeb.048074},
pmid = {21177953},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.048074}
}
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