New research provides a window into how, on a cellular level, exercise can improve muscle health and, ultimately, exercise capacity, which is “the best predictor of mortality in the general population.”

Share on Pinterest By strengthening our muscles, we improve our lifespan.

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications describes how exercise helps the body to keep the cells in the muscles healthy and strong.

“Whether muscle is healthy or not really determines whether the entire body is healthy or not,” says lead researcher Prof. Zhen Yan, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.

“And exercise capacity, mainly determined by muscle size and function,” he adds, “is the best predictor of mortality in the general population.”

According to the new study, exercise improves muscle health by renewing its cellular powerhouse: the mitochondria. Mitochondria are crucial to the good functioning of our bodies, as well as to our overall health and longevity.

These tiny parts of the cell turn the food we eat into energy. Mitochondria transform proteins, fats, and sugars into the fuel that the body needs to live.

So, how does exercise affect the mitochondria in the muscles?