Muscle Messengers May Carry Brain Benefits: Scientists Discover Exercise Could Help Protect Against Parkinson
Exercise and muscle signals
Exercise may help people with Parkinson’s in ways that extend beyond movement. Regular physical activity can improve movement, balance, mood and cognitive function, while reducing falls and disability.
Muscles release hormone-like chemical messengers called exerkines during exercise. Dr. Miguel Germán Borda says muscles can act like an endocrine organ, producing these signals.
Parkinson’s and muscle health
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder involving the loss of dopamine-producing neurons, particularly in the substantia nigra. This degeneration contributes to movement difficulties, and the disease can also affect thinking, mood, sleep and other functions.
Sarcopenia is the gradual, age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and physical function. In people with Parkinson’s, it may be associated with more falls, greater cognitive impairment, poorer outcomes and reduced quality of life.
Research examining the connection
The study’s first author, Dr. Salomón Páez-García, says the researchers collected experimental, observational and interventional data on muscle status and exercise in Parkinson’s. He describes muscle as biologically active tissue with the potential to influence neural function.
The study, “Exercise, exerkines, and muscle–brain crosstalk in Parkinson’s disease,” was published on 25 February 2026 in Neuroprotection. Its authors include Páez-García, Edgar Alvarado, Alejandro Cuevas, Laura Valverde, Eduardo Salinas, Kevin O’Hara-Veintimilla, María Cruz Rodríguez-Oroz and Borda.
Key points
- Exercise may support movement, balance, mood and cognitive function in Parkinson’s disease.
- Exerkines are chemical messengers released by muscles during exercise.
- Researchers are studying whether exerkines carry beneficial signals from muscle to brain.
- Muscle loss may be linked with falls, cognitive impairment and poorer quality of life in Parkinson’s.