Emergence of Evolutionary Exercise Physiology: Exercise Innovations Rooted in Convergent Evolution of Locomotion

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20619
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Pioneering)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 59:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Matsui Takashi 筑波大学, 体育系, 助教 (80725549)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 運動 / 疲労 / 脳 / グリコーゲン / 乳酸 / 断続運動 / ロコモーション / 進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to establish an intermittent exercise model based on the convergent evolution of locomotion and to elucidate its energy efficiency and effects on physical and mental functions. In Experiment 1, we successfully established intermittent exercise models for both rats and mice. Experiment 2 revealed that intermittent exercise promotes lipid metabolism and conserves muscle glycogen, demonstrating an anti-fatigue effect. It was also confirmed that the neural mechanism of this effect likely involves glycogen conservation in the metabolic center, the hypothalamus. Experiment 3 demonstrated that intermittent exercise maintained post-exercise physical activity levels and core body temperature, which typically decline. These results suggest that intermittent exercise is an energy-efficient form of exercise that reduces fatigue and prevents post-exercise declines in activity levels.

Free Research Field

スポーツ神経生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

運動は肥満や生活習慣病だけでなく脳機能やメンタルヘルスにも奏功することが良く知られるようになったが、今も運動不足は世界的に蔓延する。 本研究は、断続運動が疲れにくく意欲的に実施・継続しやすい運動形態であることが明らかにした。これは、スポーツ科学では全く未開拓の進化生物学との融合により、この課題の解決につなげる挑戦性の高い成果であり、進化生物学の発展に寄与しながら、最近話題のHIITやPolarized Trainingの更に次世代となる新たな運動戦略の創出に貢献する。人々のハイパフォーマンスはもちろん、代謝性疾患や精神神経疾患の予防・治療にも貢献しうることから、医学的価値も包含する。