Adaptation of Endogenous Antioxidants Systems to Cumulative Weekly Exercise Dose: Exploring the Hormetic Threshold Between Oxidative Stress and Cellular Protection

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-807-8_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Biphasic Hormesis; Antioxidant Enzymes; Oxidative Stress Markers; Redox Signaling Pathways; Exercise Dose Titration

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Regular physical activity induces beneficial physio-logical adaptations; however, poorly programmed weekly training volumes may disrupt redox homeostasis and contribute to structural tissue damage. This study evaluates the dose–response relationship between cumulative weekly exercise loads and the systemic balance between oxidative stress markers and endogenous antioxidant defenses. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review evaluated ex-perimental studies indexed in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and DOAJ pub-lished between 2015 and 2024. After a rigorous three-stage eligibility screening process, 14 experimental studies met the predefined inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Results: The synthesized evidence demonstrates a distinct biphasic hormetic response to physical exercise at the cellular level. Moderate cumulative training volumes (typically 150–300 min/week at submaximal intensities) consistently upregulate key endogenous antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dis-mutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT), through re-dox-sensitive signaling pathways such as Nrf2 and PGC-1α. Conversely, excessive or unaccustomed training volumes may overwhelm enzymatic defenses, resulting in sustained reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, increased lipid peroxidation as reflected by malondialdehyde (MDA), and cellular maladaptation. Conclusion/Implications: These findings suggest the presence of a physiological threshold at which progressive exercise loading may optimize endogenous antioxidant adaptation while minimizing oxidative stress–induced cellular disruption. The evidence supports exercise-dose prescription strategies that integrate structured recovery periods as essential components for maintaining cellular in-tegrity, adaptive capacity, and long-term physiological performance.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Afif Radika Nurbin
AU  - Moch. Yunus
AU  - Nanang Tri Wahyudi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/24
TI  - Adaptation of Endogenous Antioxidants Systems to Cumulative Weekly Exercise Dose: Exploring the Hormetic Threshold Between Oxidative Stress and Cellular Protection
BT  - Proceedings of the Malang International Conference on Medical and Health Sciences (MICROMEDHS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 199
EP  - 208
SN  - 2468-5739
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-807-8_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-807-8_16
ID  - Nurbin2026
ER  -