Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (13): 3412-3423.doi: 10.12307/2026.326

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Exercise-induced extracellular vesicles: action and mechanisms in occurrence and development of insulin resistance

Yao Lijuan, Wang Yinfeng, Ma Zhennan, Chen Leqin   

  1. School of Physical Education, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, Shanxi Province, China
  • Accepted:2025-07-10 Online:2026-05-08 Published:2025-12-26
  • Contact: Chen Leqin, Professor, School of Physical Education, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, Shanxi Province, China
  • About author:Yao Lijuan, MS, School of Physical Education, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, Shanxi Province, China

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles have emerged as an emerging key mediator of intercellular information exchange. Extracellular vesicles play a key regulatory role in insulin target organs such as skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver by delivering miRNAs, proteins, and lipid molecules. The research on the mechanism of exercise-induced extracellular vesicles in the development of insulin resistance has become a hot frontier in metabolism.
OBJECTIVE: To sort out the recent research progress between exercise-induced extracellular vesicles and insulin resistance. 
METHODS: Computerized search of PubMed, MedReading, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP databases was applied, with the time limit of literature published from January 1, 2012 to March 3, 2025, to collect the studies on the effects of extracellular vesicles on diseases under relevant exercise. The search terms in Chinese were “extracellular vesicle, exercise, insulin resistance, disease,” and the search terms in English were “extracellular vesicle, physical exercise, insulin resistance, disease.” Through the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 107 papers were included for review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The article systematically comb the relationship between extracellular vesicles, exercise and insulin resistance. The results show that extracellular vesicles, as a key mediator, play an important role in multi-organ metabolic regulation through the delivery of miRNAs, proteins and other molecules to improve insulin resistance, and that different forms of exercise have different impacts on the extracellular vesicles, with aerobic, strength-training, single and high-intensity exercise producing extracellular vesicles showing differential efficacy in insulin resistance. Exercise-induced extracellular vesicles can improve insulin resistance through multi-targets and multi-pathways, as well as have far-reaching effects on insulin signaling pathway, inflammation and overall metabolism regulation, and become a core bridge connecting exercise intervention and metabolism health. Different exercise modes can provide a theoretical basis for the design of precise exercise prescription by reshaping the molecular profile of extracellular vesicles. However, in-depth investigation is still needed to analyze the complex relationship between exercise, extracellular vesicles and insulin resistance, so as to provide systematic theoretical support for the scientific principles of exercise to improve metabolic health, and to open up new ideas and directions for the prevention and therapeutics for obesity, diabetes mellitus and other related metabolic diseases.

Key words: type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, exercise, obesity, extracellular vesicle, inflammation

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