Mitochondrial Biosensorics Check-Up is Crucial for Physical Fitness and Exercise Intervention Quality—Facts and Practical Recommendations

Permanently increasing incidence of chronic diseases is challenging for healthcare worldwide being directly associated with physical inactivity considered an important cause of most chronic diseases. In contrast, physical exercise is proven as a powerful instrument of healthcare to protect individuals against health-to-disease transition and against disease progression. Nonetheless, a number of studies warn against inappropriate high-intensity and/or unaccustomed exercise which exceed an individual physical capacity. Indeed, an extensive cardiac output during prolonged exercise leads to significantly increased cardiac dimensions triggering cardiac complications which may result in arrythmogenic sudden cardiac death. Remarkable plasticity of mitochondria allows these organelles for sensing and adapting to a variety of stressors and responding to stimuli by molecular signalling, regulating bioenergetics and cellular homeostasis decisive for repair machinery, proliferation and apoptosis, tissue regeneration versus degeneration with whole body outcomes. Mitochondria act as biosensors in human body: they are reactive towards stimuli and protective against health-to-disease transition. For performing this life-important function throughout the life, mitochondria need supportive measures including physical activity considered an essential pillar of the mitochondrial medicine. This article highlights reciprocity between the quality of mitochondrial health and homeostasis on one hand and physical fitness and exercise intervention on the other hand. The proposed novelty relates to monitoring of mitochondrial homeostasis strongly recommended for creating individualised training programmes and monitoring exercise efficacy during and after the programme performed. To this end, patient friendly non-invasive approach is already established utilising tear fluid multi-omics, mitochondria as a vital biosensor and AI-based multi-professional data interpretation.