- Journal
- EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
- Année
- 2026
- Volume
- 126
- Numéro
- 3
- Pages
- 1793-1804
- Mois
- MAR
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00421-025-06015-6
Abstract
PurposeStrength-related exerkines may be promoted in response to exercise imposing high mechanical stress on the skeletal muscles. For a constant velocity, the inclination of the slope during downhill exercise influences the total mechanical load. The aim of the study was to compare exerkines release following two prolonged decline walking (-10% and -20%) exercise session.MethodsTwelve moderately active healthy men (age: 23.3 +/- 3.6 years; mass: 70.0 +/- 4.5 kg; height: 177.2 +/- 2.9 cm; body fat: 13.1 +/- 3.2%) performed two 45-min downhill treadmill exercises at -10% (DOWN10) and -20% (DOWN20) slopes at the same pace (6 km.h-1). Heart rate and muscle oxygenation were monitored during exercise and blood samples were taken before, 1 h and 24 h after exercise.ResultsHeart rate and muscle oxygenation were respectively greater and lower during DOWN20 exercise than DOWN10. Myostatin (MSTN; DOWN10 p <= 0.01 and DOWN20 p <= 0.05) and interleukine-6 (DOWN10 and DOWN20 p <= 0.001) levels increased 1 h-post exercise in both conditions while no difference was found for decorin, follistatin and the growth differentiation factor-15 levels. No difference on exerkines release was evidenced between - 10% and - 20% treadmill slope but a significant condition effect between DOWN20 and DOWN10 was observed for DCN (p <= 0.05).ConclusionA 45-min downhill walking exercise at a - 10% slope represents a valid strategy to stimulate the cardiovascular and muscular functions, as inferred from the increase in MSTN and IL-6 exerkines levels, and the use of a steepest slope protocol is no a prerequisite to elicit greater responses.