Physical Activity is Beneficial for Gallbladder Disease

Physical activity brings several beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease and in various metabolic disorders. The gallbladder is the dynamic reservoir of concentrated bile containing cholesterol, bile acids, and phospholipids as micelles and vesicles. Such lipid carriers depend on hepatic synthesis and play a key role in digestion and absorption of intestinal nutrients and cholesterol, in concert with intestinal motility. Bile acids also act as metabolically active hormones through interaction with small intestinal farnesoid-X receptor and GPBAR-1 receptor across the enterohepatic circulation. The gallbladder, however, can become the “fellow traveller” with several metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, nonalcoholic liver steatosis) and metabolic syndrome. In this context, aggregation and growth of excess biliary cholesterol into microcrystals and then macro-cholesterol gallstones may occur in the gallbladder. Notably, physical activity supports also benefits on the hepatobiliary tract, and via activation of bile acids acting as signalling molecules. Researchers should know that initial training condition, volume, age, intensity, aerobic capacity, body weight, and percent of body fat appear to interact with exercise-related health consequences. Thus, the overall beneficial effects of physical activity extend beyond the cardiovascular health, and involve the hepatobiliary health.