Regular HIIT Exercise Enhances Health via Histamine

Men given high doses of two antihistamine drugs did not experience the same benefits of high intensity interval training that men on a placebo enjoyed, revealing some of the molecular underpinnings of exercise’s effect.

Written byRachael Moeller Gorman

| 4 min read

Save for Later

hiit high intensity interval training exercise histamine receptor fexofenadine ranitidine famotidine h1 h2 receptor

Listen with Speechify

0:00

4:00

ABOVE: Participants in the exercise study
THIBAUX VAN DER STEDE

Whether you’re peddling a bike, running on a treadmill, or hiking in the woods, regular aerobic exercise powerfully protects you from cardiovascular and metabolic disease. But the precise molecular mechanisms connecting regular activity to improved health have been unclear. A study published April 14 in Science Advances makes major gains in this understanding. Building off previous work on single bouts of exercise, researchers at Ghent University in Belgium found that when humans perform long-term training, histamine receptors are activated, improving a variety of cardiometabolic risk factors, from insulin sensitivity to aerobic capacity and blood vessel health.

“It’s awesome, it’s a very cool paper,” says University of Oregon exercise physiologist John Halliwill, who was not involved in the study. “This is one of a few studies out there finally looking at these molecular transducers, and this is the only one out there ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member?

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Meet the Author

Rachael Moeller Gorman
Go to The Scientist's LinkedIn Page
After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and neuroscience from Williams College, Rachael spent two years studying the tiny C. elegans worm as a lab tech at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University. She then returned to school to get a master’s degree in environmental studies from Brown University, and subsequently worked as an intern at Scientific American, Discover magazine, and the Annals of Improbable Research, the originators of the yearly Ig Nobel prizes. She now freelances for both scientific and lay publications, and loves telling the stories behind the science. Find her at rachaelgorman.com or on Instagram @rachaelmoellergorman.
View Full Profile