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Physical exercise and epigenetic modifications in skeletal muscle, brain, and heart
Xi Zheng, Xueli Liu, Yuqian Guo, Yi Lv, Chensheng Lin, Dan Wang, Shaobing Wang, Yiping Liu et al.. Epigenetics & Chromatin, 2025-03-20
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The origins of many diseases can be traced to the dynamic interplay of genetic predispositions and environmental exposures post-birth. Epigenetic modifications have recently gained prominence as a significant mediator between genetic information and environmental factors, influencing the occurrence and progression of disease. There is a burgeoning body of evidence supports that physical exercise, acting as an external environmental stimulus, exerts a discernible impact on major epigenetic modifications, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, RNA methylation, and non-coding RNA. This effect assumes a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Exploring the epigenetic molecular mechanisms through which physical exercise enhances human health holds the promise of deepening our understanding of how it improves physiological functions, mitigates disease risks, and establishes a theoretical foundation for employing physical exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention in disease prevention and treatment.
Key findings
- Epigenetic modifications have recently gained prominence as a significant mediator between genetic information and environmental factors, influencing the occurrence and progression of disease.
Why it matters
This review discusses how physical exercise affects epigenetic modifications in skeletal muscle, brain and heart, and suggests exercise could be studied as a non-drug approach to disease prevention. It does not report any specific effect of exercise on Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
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 (Epigenetics & Chromatin) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Epigenetics & Chromatin: journal h-index 91 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 40 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.4× 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 | 2 / 4 | Cited 40 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Xuefeng Hu: h-index 9 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Fujian Normal University: institution h-index 271 (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 40114219) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13072-025-00576-8
- PubMed: 40114219
- Original source →
- Free full text: Epigenetics & Chromatin →
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. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Zheng, X., Liu, X., Guo, Y., Lv, Y., Lin, C., Wang, D., et al. (2025). Physical exercise and epigenetic modifications in skeletal muscle, brain, and heart. Epigenetics & Chromatin. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13072-025-00576-8
Vancouver
Zheng X, Liu X, Guo Y, Lv Y, Lin C, Wang D, et al. Physical exercise and epigenetic modifications in skeletal muscle, brain, and heart. Epigenetics & Chromatin. 2025. doi:10.1186/s13072-025-00576-8. PMID: 40114219.
BibTeX
@article{zheng2025-40114219,
author = {Zheng, Xi and Liu, Xueli and Guo, Yuqian and Lv, Yi and Lin, Chensheng and Wang, Dan and Wang, Shaobing and Liu, Yiping and others},
title = {{Physical exercise and epigenetic modifications in skeletal muscle, brain, and heart}},
journal = {Epigenetics \& Chromatin},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1186/s13072-025-00576-8},
pmid = {40114219},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13072-025-00576-8}
}