The Impact of Physical Activity on Skin Health and Condition: Physiological Mechanisms and Dermatological Effects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2024.36.56624Keywords
physical activity, skin health, effects of exercise on skin, anti-aging effects of physical activity, antioxidant properties of exerciseAbstract
Introduction and purpose:
The skin, the largest organ of the human body, plays a crucial role as a protective barrier. Its condition deteriorates with age and under the influence of external factors such as UV radiation, stress, or diet. This review examines the impact of physical activity on skin health, focusing on mechanisms that enhance its function and appearance.
Materials and Methods
A literature review was conducted using medical databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar. Articles were retrieved in English using keywords such as “physical activity,” “skin health,” “effects of exercise on skin,” “anti-aging effects of physical activity,” and “antioxidant properties of exercise” in various configurations.
Description of the state of knowledge:
Regular physical activity positively affects skin health by improving microcirculation, stimulating collagen synthesis, hydrating the stratum corneum, and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Exercise also supports the skin barrier function and may alleviate the course of dermatological conditions such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. Additionally, physical activity improves sleep quality and mental well-being, which indirectly benefits skin health. The potential of facial exercises to enhance aesthetics is also noted, though their effectiveness requires further research. Despite numerous benefits, some forms of activity, such as swimming, may negatively affect the skin barrier due to exposure to irritating chemical substances.
Conclusion:
In summary, physical activity has a multidimensional impact on skin health, supporting its protective functions, appearance, and anti-aging properties. However, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms and efficacy of specific types of exercise.
References
Jensen JM, Proksch E. The skin's barrier. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2009;144(6):689-700.
Harris-Tryon TA, Grice EA. Microbiota and maintenance of skin barrier function. Science. 2022;376(6596):940-945. doi:10.1126/science.abo0693
Boismal F, Serror K, Dobos G, Zuelgaray E, Bensussan A, Michel L. Vieillissement cutané - Physiopathologie et thérapies innovantes [Skin aging: Pathophysiology and innovative therapies]. Med Sci (Paris). 2020;36(12):1163-1172. doi:10.1051/medsci/2020232
Khavkin J, Ellis DA. Aging skin: histology, physiology, and pathology. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2011;19(2):229-234. doi:10.1016/j.fsc.2011.04.003
Farage MA, Miller KW, Elsner P, Maibach HI. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors in skin ageing: a review. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2008;30(2):87-95. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2494.2007.00415.x
Puizina-Ivić N. Skin aging. Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat. 2008;17(2):47-54.
Cao C, Xiao Z, Wu Y, Ge C. Diet and Skin Aging-From the Perspective of Food Nutrition. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):870. Published 2020 Mar 24. doi:10.3390/nu12030870
Rajkumar J, Chandan N, Lio P, Shi V. The Skin Barrier and Moisturization: Function, Disruption, and Mechanisms of Repair. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2023;36(4):174-185. doi:10.1159/000534136
Oizumi R, Sugimoto Y, Aibara H. The Potential of Exercise on Lifestyle and Skin Function: Narrative Review. JMIR Dermatol. 2024;7:e51962. Published 2024 Mar 14. doi:10.2196/51962
Afzal UM, Ali FR. Sleep deprivation and the skin. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2023;48(10):1113-1116. doi:10.1093/ced/llad196
Nakagawa N, Shimizu N, Sugawara T, Sakai S. The relationship between habitual physical activity and skin mechanical properties. Skin Res Technol. 2021;27(3):353-357. doi:10.1111/srt.12950
Peluso MA, Guerra de Andrade LH. Physical activity and mental health: the association between exercise and mood. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2005;60(1):61-70. doi:10.1590/s1807-59322005000100012
Veríssimo MT, Aragäo A, Sousa A, et al. Physical excercise and thrombotic risk in the elderly. Rev Port Cardiol. 2001;20(6):625-639.
Jeon CY, Lokken RP, Hu FB, van Dam RM. Physical activity of moderate intensity and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. Diabetes Care. 2007;30(3):744-752. doi:10.2337/dc06-1842
Alpsoy Ş. Exercise and Hypertension. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1228:153-167. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_10
Todd JA, Robinson RJ. Osteoporosis and exercise. Postgrad Med J. 2003;79(932):320-323. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.932.320
Nakagawa N, Shimizu N, Sugawara T, Sakai S. The relationship between habitual physical activity and skin mechanical properties. Skin Res Technol. 2021;27(3):353-357. doi:10.1111/srt.12950
Ungvari Z, Kaley G, de Cabo R, Sonntag WE, Csiszar A. Mechanisms of vascular aging: new perspectives. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010;65(10):1028-1041. doi:10.1093/gerona/glq113
Petersen AM, Pedersen BK. The anti-inflammatory effect of exercise. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2005;98(4):1154-1162. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00164.2004
Black MA, Green DJ, Cable NT. Exercise prevents age-related decline in nitric-oxide-mediated vasodilator function in cutaneous microvessels. J Physiol. 2008;586(14):3511-3524. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2008.153742
Hodges GJ, Sharp L, Stephenson C, et al. The effect of 48 weeks of aerobic exercise training on cutaneous vasodilator function in post-menopausal females. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010;108(6):1259-1267. doi:10.1007/s00421-009-1330-0
Oizumi R, Sugimoto Y, Aibara H. Effects of regular exercise on skin moisturizing function in adults. Dermatol Reports. 2023;15(4):9711. Published 2023 May 18. doi:10.4081/dr.2023.9711
Ryosuke O, Yoshie S, Hiromi A. The association between activity levels and skin moisturising function in adults. Dermatol Reports. 2021;13(1):8811. Published 2021 Mar 17. doi:10.4081/dr.2021.8811
Lu CY, Lee HC, Fahn HJ, Wei YH. Oxidative damage elicited by imbalance of free radical scavenging enzymes is associated with large-scale mtDNA deletions in aging human skin. Mutat Res. 1999;423(1-2):11-21. doi:10.1016/s0027-5107(98)00220-6
Safdar A, Bourgeois JM, Ogborn DI, et al. Endurance exercise rescues progeroid aging and induces systemic mitochondrial rejuvenation in mtDNA mutator mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011;108(10):4135-4140. doi:10.1073/pnas.1019581108
Crane JD, MacNeil LG, Lally JS, et al. Exercise-stimulated interleukin-15 is controlled by AMPK and regulates skin metabolism and aging. Aging Cell. 2015;14(4):625-634. doi:10.1111/acel.12341
Kang SY, Um JY, Chung BY, et al. Moisturizer in Patients with Inflammatory Skin Diseases. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(7):888. Published 2022 Jul 1. doi:10.3390/medicina58070888
Lebwohl M, Herrmann LG. Impaired skin barrier function in dermatologic disease and repair with moisturization. Cutis. 2005;76(6 Suppl):7-12.
Naldi L, Conti A, Cazzaniga S, et al. Diet and physical exercise in psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(3):634-642. doi:10.1111/bjd.12735
Son WK, Yoon W, Kim S, et al. Can moderate-intensity aerobic exercise ameliorate atopic dermatitis?. Exp Dermatol. 2020;29(8):699-702. doi:10.1111/exd.14138
Gleeson M, Bishop NC, Stensel DJ, Lindley MR, Mastana SS, Nimmo MA. The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise: mechanisms and implications for the prevention and treatment of disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 2011;11(9):607-615. Published 2011 Aug 5. doi:10.1038/nri3041
Collao N, Rada I, Francaux M, Deldicque L, Zbinden-Foncea H. Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Exercise Mediated by Toll-Like Receptor Regulation in Innate Immune Cells - A Review. Int Rev Immunol. 2020;39(2):39-52. doi:10.1080/08830185.2019.1682569
Yeroushalmi S, Hakimi M, Chung M, Bartholomew E, Bhutani T, Liao W. Psoriasis and Exercise: A Review. Psoriasis (Auckl). 2022;12:189-197. Published 2022 Jul 2. doi:10.2147/PTT.S349791
Edmondson SR, Thumiger SP, Werther GA, Wraight CJ. Epidermal homeostasis: the role of the growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor systems. Endocr Rev. 2003;24(6):737-764. doi:10.1210/er.2002-0021
Affinito P, Palomba S, Sorrentino C, et al. Effects of postmenopausal hypoestrogenism on skin collagen. Maturitas. 1999;33(3):239-247. doi:10.1016/s0378-5122(99)00077-8
Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA. Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Med. 2005;35(4):339-361. doi:10.2165/00007256-200535040-00004
Wideman L, Weltman JY, Hartman ML, Veldhuis JD, Weltman A. Growth hormone release during acute and chronic aerobic and resistance exercise: recent findings. Sports Med. 2002;32(15):987-1004. doi:10.2165/00007256-200232150-00003
Gharahdaghi N, Phillips BE, Szewczyk NJ, Smith K, Wilkinson DJ, Atherton PJ. Links Between Testosterone, Oestrogen, and the Growth Hormone/Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis and Resistance Exercise Muscle Adaptations. Front Physiol. 2021;11:621226. Published 2021 Jan 15. doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.621226
Zhang J, He ZX, Qu YS, et al. Different baseline physical activity predicts susceptibility and resilience to chronic social defeat stress in mice: Involvement of dopamine neurons. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021;45:15-28. doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.011
Kandola A, Ashdown-Franks G, Hendrikse J, Sabiston CM, Stubbs B. Physical activity and depression: Towards understanding the antidepressant mechanisms of physical activity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;107:525-539. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.040
Zhang J, He ZX, Qu YS, et al. Different baseline physical activity predicts susceptibility and resilience to chronic social defeat stress in mice: Involvement of dopamine neurons. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021;45:15-28. doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.011
Zhang H, Wang M, Zhao X, Wang Y, Chen X, Su J. Role of stress in skin diseases: A neuroendocrine-immune interaction view. Brain Behav Immun. 2024;116:286-302. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.005
Pondeljak N, Lugović-Mihić L. Stress-induced Interaction of Skin Immune Cells, Hormones, and Neurotransmitters. Clin Ther. 2020;42(5):757-770. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.03.008
Afzal UM, Ali FR. Sleep deprivation and the skin. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2023;48(10):1113-1116. doi:10.1093/ced/llad196
Gupta MA, Gupta AK. Sleep-wake disorders and dermatology. Clin Dermatol. 2013;31(1):118-126. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2011.11.016
Born J, Lange T, Hansen K, Mölle M, Fehm HL. Effects of sleep and circadian rhythm on human circulating immune cells. J Immunol. 1997;158(9):4454-4464.
Yosipovitch G, Xiong GL, Haus E, Sackett-Lundeen L, Ashkenazi I, Maibach HI. Time-dependent variations of the skin barrier function in humans: transepidermal water loss, stratum corneum hydration, skin surface pH, and skin temperature. J Invest Dermatol. 1998;110(1):20-23. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1747.1998.00069.x
Oyetakin-White P, Suggs A, Koo B, et al. Does poor sleep quality affect skin ageing?. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2015;40(1):17-22. doi:10.1111/ced.12455
Jang SI, Lee M, Han J, et al. A study of skin characteristics with long-term sleep restriction in Korean women in their 40s. Skin Res Technol. 2020;26(2):193-199. doi:10.1111/srt.12797
Schrom KP, Ahsanuddin S, Baechtold M, Tripathi R, Ramser A, Baron E. Acne Severity and Sleep Quality in Adults. Clocks Sleep. 2019;1(4):510-516. Published 2019 Dec 6. doi:10.3390/clockssleep1040039
Wang Z, Xie H, Gong Y, et al. Relationship between rosacea and sleep. J Dermatol. 2020;47(6):592-600. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15339
Sejbuk M, Mirończuk-Chodakowska I, Witkowska AM. Sleep Quality: A Narrative Review on Nutrition, Stimulants, and Physical Activity as Important Factors. Nutrients. 2022;14(9):1912. Published 2022 May 2. doi:10.3390/nu14091912
Hartescu I, Morgan K, Stevinson CD. Increased physical activity improves sleep and mood outcomes in inactive people with insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. J Sleep Res. 2015;24(5):526-534. doi:10.1111/jsr.12297
Reid KJ, Baron KG, Lu B, Naylor E, Wolfe L, Zee PC. Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Sleep Med. 2010;11(9):934-940. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2010.04.014
Alam M, Walter AJ, Geisler A, Roongpisuthipong W, Sikorski G, Tung R, Poon E. Association of facial exercise with the appearance of aging. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(3):365–367. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.5142.
Van Borsel J, De Vos MC, Bastiaansen K, Welvaert J, Lambert J. The effectiveness of facial exercises for facial rejuvenation: a systematic review. Aesthet Surg J. 2014;34(1):22-27. doi:10.1177/1090820X13514583
De Vos MC, Van den Brande H, Boone B, Van Borsel J. Facial exercises for facial rejuvenation: a control group study. Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2013;65(3):117-122. doi:10.1159/000354083
Kockentiet B, Adams BB. Contact dermatitis in athletes. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007;56(6):1048-1055. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2006.12.025
Paciência I, Rodolfo A, Leão L, et al. Effects of Exercise on the Skin Epithelial Barrier of Young Elite Athletes-Swimming Comparatively to Non-Water Sports Training Session. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(2):653. Published 2021 Jan 14. doi:10.3390/ijerph18020653
Field LA, Adams BB. Tinea pedis in athletes. Int J Dermatol. 2008;47(5):485-492. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2008.03443.x
Adams BB. Dermatologic disorders of the athlete. Sports Med. 2002;32(5):309-321. doi:10.2165/00007256-200232050-00003
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Natalia Dolata, Bartosz Balcer, Paweł Liszka, Mateusz Pakuła, Maja Weimann, Adrianna Kruczkowska, Aleksandra Stosiek, Agnieszka Cebula, Emil Bulzacki, Wojciech Urbański
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 34
Number of citations: 0
