Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine Signaling
PURPOSE Genes had selectively evolved to enhance the motivation for physical movement in human during the Paleolithic era. To prepare for a potential forthcoming food deficiency, high physical activity was essential for survival in the environment where hunting wild animals and gathering plants. In...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Korean |
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The Korean Society of Exercise Physiology
2023-02-01
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| Series: | 운동과학 |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ksep-es.org/upload/pdf/ksep-2023-32-1-3.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827964767051972608 |
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| author | Nyeonju Kang Dong-Il Kim Young-Min Park |
| author_facet | Nyeonju Kang Dong-Il Kim Young-Min Park |
| author_sort | Nyeonju Kang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PURPOSE Genes had selectively evolved to enhance the motivation for physical movement in human during the Paleolithic era. To prepare for a potential forthcoming food deficiency, high physical activity was essential for survival in the environment where hunting wild animals and gathering plants. In modern society, however, developing technology and engineering has made human life easier to accomplish tasks with not much movement and effort, resulting in a profound deficiency in physical activity (i.e., physical inactivity). METHODS In this review, the authors summarized previous studies searched by the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases. RESULTS Reduced physical activity is significantly associated with the high prevalence of various diseases including metabolic syndrome, obesity, sarcopenia, and cancer. Unfortunately, in women, menopause negatively impacts their body and physiology mainly due to the loss of estrogens, which also contributes to behavioral changes such as a significant reduction of physical activity levels during menopausal transition. In this review, the author focused to describe the underlying brain mechanism by which menopause results in reduced levels of physical activity through estrogens, estrogen receptors, and dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens, the main controller for exercise motivation. CONCLUSIONS Estrogen receptor, specifically ERα, and dopamine receptors are the main controllers for voluntary physical activity. Furthermore, high running motivation is associated with enhanced dopamine activity. More studies are needed to verify whether enhanced dopamine activity can protect against menopause-associated reduction in physical activity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:21:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7dcbfadb1e9b4a2fa7d6f1ed30a1594c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1226-1726 2384-0544 |
| language | Korean |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:21:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | The Korean Society of Exercise Physiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | 운동과학 |
| spelling | doaj.art-7dcbfadb1e9b4a2fa7d6f1ed30a1594c2023-04-19T01:42:32ZkorThe Korean Society of Exercise Physiology운동과학1226-17262384-05442023-02-0132131010.15857/ksep.2023.32.1.31016Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine SignalingNyeonju Kang0Dong-Il Kim1Young-Min Park2 Division of Sport Science & Sport Science Institute, Incheon National University, Incheon, Korea Division of Health and Kinesiology, Incheon National University, Incheon, Korea Sport Science Institute & Health Promotion Center, Incheon National University, Incheon, KoreaPURPOSE Genes had selectively evolved to enhance the motivation for physical movement in human during the Paleolithic era. To prepare for a potential forthcoming food deficiency, high physical activity was essential for survival in the environment where hunting wild animals and gathering plants. In modern society, however, developing technology and engineering has made human life easier to accomplish tasks with not much movement and effort, resulting in a profound deficiency in physical activity (i.e., physical inactivity). METHODS In this review, the authors summarized previous studies searched by the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases. RESULTS Reduced physical activity is significantly associated with the high prevalence of various diseases including metabolic syndrome, obesity, sarcopenia, and cancer. Unfortunately, in women, menopause negatively impacts their body and physiology mainly due to the loss of estrogens, which also contributes to behavioral changes such as a significant reduction of physical activity levels during menopausal transition. In this review, the author focused to describe the underlying brain mechanism by which menopause results in reduced levels of physical activity through estrogens, estrogen receptors, and dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens, the main controller for exercise motivation. CONCLUSIONS Estrogen receptor, specifically ERα, and dopamine receptors are the main controllers for voluntary physical activity. Furthermore, high running motivation is associated with enhanced dopamine activity. More studies are needed to verify whether enhanced dopamine activity can protect against menopause-associated reduction in physical activity.http://www.ksep-es.org/upload/pdf/ksep-2023-32-1-3.pdfmenopausephysical inactivitydopamineexercise motivationestrogen receptor |
| spellingShingle | Nyeonju Kang Dong-Il Kim Young-Min Park Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine Signaling 운동과학 menopause physical inactivity dopamine exercise motivation estrogen receptor |
| title | Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine Signaling |
| title_full | Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine Signaling |
| title_fullStr | Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine Signaling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine Signaling |
| title_short | Menopause Induces Physical Inactivity through Brain Estrogen Receptor and Dopamine Signaling |
| title_sort | menopause induces physical inactivity through brain estrogen receptor and dopamine signaling |
| topic | menopause physical inactivity dopamine exercise motivation estrogen receptor |
| url | http://www.ksep-es.org/upload/pdf/ksep-2023-32-1-3.pdf |
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