Prof. Joanna Majerczak, Department of Neurobiology of the University of Physical Education in Poznań is the co-author of the article “Adaptation of lung mitochondria to endurance training in rats”. The text was published in the prestigious journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine.

This article shows for the first time that endurance training increases the density of mitochondria in lung tissue (i.e. enhances their biogenesis in the lungs) and reduces oxidative stress.

According to the authors, this process is the result of the decreased oxygen tension in the lung tissue associated with exercise (so-called exercise hypoxia) occurring in some areas of the lungs and the systemic oxidative stress caused by intense exercise. This adaptive response from the lung mitochondria may help to improve physical performance and reduce the risk of developing lung infections.