Can you stop exercising and still remain fit? Ah the question we all want answered.
A recent study states that ‘consuming a pill will replace the benefits of exercise’.
Researchers have discovered a blood molecule that is created during physical activity in mice. It can successfully lower food intake and obesity in them, which could be projected to humans.
Published on June 15 in the journal Nature by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, and affiliated institutions, this finding advances our knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying the interaction between exercise and hunger.
The scientists obtained and examined blood samples from mice that had been jogging on treadmills in order to identify the pertinent molecule.
They discovered that the mice had elevated levels of phenylalanine, one of the amino acids used to make proteins, and Lac-Phe, a byproduct of the lactic acid produced during exercise. Lac-Phe decreased the mice’s overall food intake over the course of ten days. Also, it decreased body fat and enhanced glucose tolerance.
The scientists also discovered significant increases in plasma Lac-Phe levels after exercise in people and racehorses. Sprinting caused the largest rise in the molecule, followed by resistance training and then endurance training, according to data from the human test.
Finding out additional information about how Lac-Phe mediates its effects in the body, including the brain, is one of their next steps. Additionally, they want to develop their ability to modify this exercise pathway for therapeutic interventions.
The study brought them closer to assisting many individuals, who cannot engage in rigorous activities, in enhancing their health by replicating how exercise functions at the molecular level of our bodies to harness some of its benefits.
Good news for those who are lazy or simply aren’t able to exercise.
