Exercise entrainment of musculoskeletal connective tissue clocks

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

The musculoskeletal system, crucial for movement and support, relies on the delicate balance of connective tissue homeostasis. Maintaining this equilibrium is essential for tissue health and function. There has been increasing evidence in the past decade that shows the circadian clock as a master regulator of extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis in several connective tissue clocks. Very recently, exercise has emerged as a significant entrainment factor for cartilage and intervertebral disk circadian rhythms. Understanding the implications of exercise on connective tissue peripheral clocks holds promise for enhancing tissue health and disease prevention. Exercise-induced factors such as heat, glucocorticoid release, mechanical loading, and inter-tissue cross talk may play pivotal roles in entraining the circadian rhythm of connective tissues. This mini review underscores the importance of elucidating the mechanisms through which exercise influences circadian rhythms in connective tissues to optimize ECM homeostasis. Leveraging exercise as a modulator of circadian rhythms in connective tissues may offer novel therapeutic approaches to physical training for preventing musculoskeletal disorders and enhancing recovery.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology
Volume327
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)C270-C277
Number of pages8
ISSN0363-6143
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

    Research areas

  • circadian clock, connective tissue, exercise, extracellular matrix, mechanical loading

ID: 400420829