← brief for 2026-09-04 · Nutrition & lifestyle

Physical exercise and circulating α-Klotho in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis with emphasis on older adults

Paper A Peer reviewed Meta-analysis or large trial

Key takeaways

Klotho is a protein made mostly by the kidneys, and low levels track with faster kidney decline and aging. This review pooled the results of many exercise studies in people and found that training raised the amount of Klotho in the blood, with the clearest effect in older adults. The size of the increase varied a lot between studies, and the studies used different exercise plans. Higher Klotho is a lab marker, so this does not yet show that exercise protects kidneys.

Who did this work

Aigul A. Abduldayeva (Astana Medical University) · Saule A. Iskakova (Astana Medical University) · Gulnur Doszhanova (Astana Medical University) · Nikolay A. Safonov (Astana Medical University) · Aliya M. Tuliyeva (Astana Medical University)

Source

Paper · OpenAlex, Kidney disease concept sweep (verified C2778653478) · 2026-09-03
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1910769