The risk of cardiovascular disease steadily increases with increasing life expectancy. Heart failure is particularly common in the aged population and is a significant burden for the individual patient with a decrease in quality of life and a high mortality. The preventive and therapeutic effects of endurance exercise for cardiovascular diseases and heart failure specifically was previously shown. On a molecular level, however, more research is needed to understand the physiological and pathological mechanisms responsible. The overarching aim of this project is a detailed mechanistic elucidation of exercise-induced cardioprotective signaling mechanisms in the aged heart. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of these mechanisms will be investigated.