Next-generation fitness: New fields that promise personalized exercise recommendations

Exercise has been recognized as an extremely effective tool to improve human health— it can have a preventative and even therapeutic effect on non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. By promoting physical activity not only among athletes, but also among the general population, several non-communicable diseases can be prevented, eventually reducing the financial burden upon the healthcare system. However, the exact changes that occur at a molecular level due to different types of exercise have not been explored thoroughly. One reason for this is that, traditionally, collecting molecular information (such as metabolite data) required invasive tissue or muscle biopsies, limiting the scale of studies that could be performed. 

Now, in a study published in Volume 11 of the journal Sports Medicine - Open on May 14, 2025, Dr. Kayvan Khoramipour from Miguel de Cervantes European University, along with other coauthors, and Professor Katsuhiko Suzuki from the Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Japan, introduce and review literature in two emerging fields that could advance our understanding of exercise physiology in humans. These disciplines use ‘multi-omics’ data, or data from multiple sets of biological molecules (such as proteins, metabolites, or even RNA). Prof. Suzuki and his colleagues have termed these fields as ‘resistomics’ and ‘enduromics.’ 

The authors explain that ‘enduromics’ and ‘resistomics’ are fields that examine the molecular changes induced by endurance and resistance training, respectively. While endurance training is what we might refer to as aerobic exercise (that increases your breathing and heart rate), resistance training involves improving your muscle strength. To better explain these two terms, Prof. Suzuki further elaborates that, “Enduromics and resistomics examine unique molecular adaptations to endurance and resistance training in a larger population, as opposed to the field of ‘sportomics,’ which focuses on molecular alterations in competitive athletes.” 

More specifically, enduromics reveals the biological pathways involved in processes such as lipid metabolism, generation of new mitochondria, and aerobic efficiency, or your body’s ability to effectively use oxygen—all of which adapt and change in response to moderate-to-intense aerobic exercise. On the other hand, resistomics specifically focuses on muscle hypertrophy or muscle growth, synthesis of new proteins, and neuromuscular adaptations in the body. These fields can identify the biomarkers and metabolic fingerprints, aiding in understanding how specific metabolic states differ between individuals. Taken together, both resistomics and enduromics can give us a clear picture of the molecular adaptations that arise in different individuals in response to both resistance and endurance training. 

Emphasizing the practical applications of enduromics and resistomics, Prof. Suzuki explains, “By utilizing molecular profiling, these disciplines pave the way for personalized exercise prescriptions, using molecular insights to tailor training to an individual.” He adds that these personalized training plans can enhance fitness and rehabilitation while reducing injury risks for both athletes as well as the general population. The team also believes that by transitioning the focus from athletes to the general population, the collective health of society can be strengthened. 

In the long term, Prof. Suzuki and his colleagues would like to discover molecular mechanisms underpinning adaptation to exercise, which could even prove helpful for disease prevention and treatment. We hope that enduromics and resistomics will pave the way for a new approach to exercise and public health! 

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Reference 
Authors: Kayvan Khoramipour1, Sergio Maroto-Izquierdo¹, Simone Lista¹, Alejandro Santos-Lozano¹, and Katsuhiko Suzuki² 
DOI: 10.1186/s40798-025-00855-4 
Affiliations: ¹i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), Spain 
²Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Japan 

About Waseda University 
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Waseda University is a leading private research university that has long been dedicated to academic excellence, innovative research, and civic engagement at both the local and global levels since 1882. The University has produced many changemakers in its history, including eight prime ministers and many leaders in business, science and technology, literature, sports, and film. Waseda has strong collaborations with overseas research institutions and is committed to advancing cutting-edge research and developing leaders who can contribute to the resolution of complex, global social issues. The University has set a target of achieving a zero-carbon campus by 2032, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015.  
To learn more about Waseda University, visit https://www.waseda.jp/top/en   

About Professor Katsuhiko Suzuki from Waseda University 
Dr. Katsuhiko Suzuki is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University. He completed both his M.D and Ph.D from the Hirosaki University School of Medicine. His research interests include exercise prescription for lifestyle-related diseases and risk assessment of acute and chronic exercise using biochemical and immunological variables. He has published more than 450 papers in the fields of exercise immunology, sports science, muscle damage, exercise biochemistry, and applied physiology, and has accumulated over 20,000 citations for the same, with a high h-index score of 74. He will hold a symposium of the International Society of Exercise Immunology as Chairman in Tokyo in late August 2026. To know more:  
https://katsu.suzu.w.waseda.jp/ISEI2026_Tokyo.html