Cell renewal

Strength training activates the “waste disposal” in the body

It is essential for the maintenance of tissues and organs to dispose of cell parts that are no longer functional or damaged. Researchers at the University of Bonn (Germany) have now investigated how this regulation takes place.

Muscles and nerves are long-lived high-performance organs whose cellular components are subject to constant wear and tear. The protein BAG3 plays a decisive role in their disposal. It recognizes damaged components and ensures that they are enclosed in cell envelopes: A so-called autophagosome is formed. The cellular waste is collected in this "garbage bag" and finally shredded for recycling, as reported by the "German Health Portal".

New insights into the "garbage disposal"
The research team has now shown that BAG3 in the muscles is activated by strength training. This is important for cellular waste removal, because Only BAG3 efficiently binds damaged cell components and drives membrane sheathing. An active waste disposal system, in turn, is essential in order to maintain the muscles in the long term. "Impairment of the BAG3 system does indeed lead to rapidly progressive muscle weakness in children and to heart failure, one of the most common causes of death in western industrialized nations," explains Prof. Dr. Jörg Höhfeld from the Institute of Cell Biology at the University of Bonn.

"We now know what training intensity is necessary to activate the BAG3 system. This helps us to optimize training programs for top athletes and to improve muscle building in patients during rehabilitation," says Prof. Dr. Sebastian Gehlert, sports physiologist at the German Sport University Cologne and the University of Hildesheim, explaining the significance of these findings.