Skeletal muscle is a crucial facilitator of many of the effects of exercise on metabolic health. Intrinsic myocellular mechanisms, exercise-induced myokine secretion, and crosstalk between multiple organ systems contribute to the maintenance of energy homeostasis, cardiovascular health, strength, cognition, and quality of life.

Investigating the molecular underpinnings of the skeletal muscle response to exercise from multiple perspectives, including the genetic, physiological, and environmental factors leading to metabolic dysfunction has advanced our understanding of disease risk and helped identify avenues for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders and chronic diseases. The National Institutes of Health-funded Boston Area Nutrition Obesity Research Center, in partnership with the Harvard Medical School Division of Nutrition, hosted their 26th Annual Symposium, "Muscle Movement and Metabolism: Exercise and Skeletal Muscle as Mediators of Health," in June of 2025.

Speakers presented novel research and unique perspectives on exercise and skeletal muscle as key determinants of health. This manuscript synthesizes the symposium's major themes: 1) physiological and molecular mechanisms of exercise, 2), clinical implications of physical inactivity and reduced muscle function, and 3) individual variability and personalized medicine.

By bridging mechanistic and clinical insights with principles of personalized medicine, the symposium provided key insights into the current landscape of treatments for metabolic diseases and evidence-based strategies for disease prevention.