Exercise-induced Physiological Hypertrophy: Insights from Genomics

Cardiac hypertrophy can be divided as pathological hypertrophy and physiological hypertrophy. Unlike pathological hypertrophy, physiological hypertrophy is a beneficial adaptive response, which will not cause heart failure and sudden death and can protect adverse cardiac remodeling. Exercise training is widely known to cause physiological hypertrophy. The genomic basis of pathological hypertrophy and heart failure has been well-known and is well-reviewed. In this review, we will review the genomic profiles of physiological hypertrophy and also summarize genes and microRNAs responsible for exercise-induced physiological hypertrophy. With better understanding of physiological hypertrophy, manipulation of genes or miRNAs responsible for physiological hypertrophy will offer exciting avenues for treating heart failure.