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Fig. 8
Effects of exercise on bone quality in zebrafish. Schematic depiction of the sum of effects induced by musculoskeletal loading of zebrafish following the swim tunnel experiment. Zebrafish from the exercise group (bottom) were subjected to higher muscular forces that translated into a higher load on zebrafish bone. Higher forces acted as a stimulant for osteoblast activity, which led to an increase of bone formation and mineralization. As a result, exercised zebrafish displayed higher bone mass with a higher degree of bone mineralization when compared to the control group. In humans, increased physical activity45,16. The results obtained from zebrafish exercise experiments provide therefore deeper insight into the complex mechanisms governing mechanical sensitivity of bone and the pathways that control bone formation and mineralization, thus affecting bone quality.