How to Boost Your Anti-Aging ‘Hope Molecules’
You might hit the gym for aesthetics. But beyond the mirror gains, your muscles are doing more than you think. Every squeeze, squat, and sprint floods your body with myokines, so-called hope molecules that can literally change how you feel and even influence how well you age. They’re called myokines—proteins released by muscles when they contract—which are basically tiny chemical pep talks your muscles send your brain.
You might not have heard of them, but they do a lot of heavy lifting to protect your brain, body, and healthspan long after your workout ends. We spoke to experts to uncover how they work to improve your mood and aid longevity.
Why Myokines Are Medicine
“Myokines are remarkable. They can boost your metabolism, lower inflammation, encourage healthy new blood vessels to grow, accelerate healing, and improve your mood,” says William Li, MD, physician scientist and author of Eat To Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. They also have a positive bearing on everything from focus and sleep quality to recovery and appetite regulation.
There are hundreds (and counting) of different types of myokines that have varying effects on the body, which can influence your brain, heart, circulation, liver, muscle, and beyond.
A myokine called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is perhaps the most well-known of the bunch. Per Dr. Li, two myokines called irisin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulate the brain to produce BDNF, a neurotrophin that improves mood, reduces depression, boosts neuroplasticity, and helps stave off neurodegenerative disorders. This is, in part, why myokines earn the nickname of hope molecules among physicians, neuroscientists, and researchers. “Irisin specifically crosses the blood-brain barrier and triggers neuroprotection, while [exercise-induced] IL-6 orchestrates systemic inflammation reduction,” adds Sydney Ceruto, PhD, a behavioral and cognitive neuroscientist and founder of MindLAB Neuroscience.
According to Dr. Li, myokines also enhance feel-good neurotransmitters—including serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins—fueling the classic post-workout high. Some also help form new neural connections, improve memory, and heighten focus, Dr. Ceruto notes. In other words, the right workouts can leave you swole and sharper.
But the benefits don’t end there. Some research even suggests that specific myokines may inhibit cancer progression. “Cancer survivors who return to consistent exercise often credit it to their recovery, and there’s now evidence that myokines released during training can suppress tumor growth,” says Dr. Ceruto.
