NIH grants millions for research on biology of physical activity health benefits

A new program, the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans, has been launched by NIH’s Common Fund, to study how physical activity improves health and prevents disease, and what biological molecules are affected by exercise, according to a press release.

“This program will lay the foundation for our understanding of how physical activity affects the human body, and ultimately, advance our understanding of how activity improves and preserves health. Armed with this knowledge, researchers and clinicians may one day be able to define optimal physical activity recommendations for people at various stages of life, as well as develop precisely targeted regimens for individuals with particular health needs,” Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, NIH director, said in the press release.

Francis S. Collins

Identification of molecules that change in response to exercise and how those molecules may facilitate the effects of exercise in the body will be examined through various studies in both humans and animals. Using data collected from all studies, researchers hope to formulate a ‘molecular map’ of activity responses.

The study will include participants of varying ages, fitness levels, ethnicities and races, who will perform both resistance and aerobic exercises. Before and after exercise, blood, urine and tissue samples will be collected and analyzed to identify and characterize molecules that have been affected by exercise.

Additionally, to identify the link between specific molecules and improved fitness, participants who were previously inactive will go through an exercise training period. Before and after the training period, participant’s lung capacity, glucose tolerance, heart rate, BMI, basal metabolic rates, muscle and fat mass, cognitive ability and emotional well-being will all be evaluated.

The program will invest nearly $170 million over 5 years to various research institutions across the United States.

“By capitalizing on recent technological breakthroughs in complex, high-throughput sample analysis, this program will enable a novel understanding of how physical activity contributes to a person’s health at a molecular level. The knowledge generated through this program will inform studies of almost every organ and tissue in the human body, and will provide a critical resource for large numbers of researchers investigating the effects of physical activity in humans,” James M. Anderson, MD, PhD, director of the NIH division of program coordination, planning and strategic initiatives said in the release.