The findings improve our understanding of the physiological processes that underlie the interplay between exercise and hunger.
“Regular exercise has been proven to promote weight loss, control appetite, and improve metabolic profile, particularly for those who are overweight and obese,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Yong Ju, Professor of Pediatrics – Nutrition and Molecular and Cellular Biology. Boiler. “If we can understand the mechanism by which exercise triggers these benefits, we are closer to helping many people improve their health.”
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Co-corresponding author Jonathan Long, assistant professor of pathology at Stanford Medicine and an Institute scholar at Stanford Chem-H, said, “We wanted to understand how exercise works at the molecular level to gain some of its benefits.” ” chemistry, engineering and medicine for human health).
“For example, older or frail people who can’t exercise enough may benefit from taking a drug a day that can help slow down osteoporosis, heart disease, or other conditions.”
Xu, Long and their colleagues conducted a comprehensive analysis of blood plasma compounds from rats after intense treadmill running. The most significantly induced molecule was a modified amino acid called Lac-Phe. It is synthesized from lactate (a byproduct of vigorous exercise that is responsible for muscle burning) and phenylalanine (an amino acid that is one of the building blocks of protein).
In diet-induced obese rats (fed a high-fat diet), a high dose of Lac-Phe significantly reduced food intake compared to control rats over a 12 h period without affecting their movement or energy expenditure. reduced by 50%.
When administered to rats for 10 days, Lac-Fe reduced cumulative food intake and body weight (due to loss of body fat) and improved glucose tolerance.
The researchers also identified an enzyme called CNDP2, which is involved in the production of Lac-Phe, and showed that mice lacking this enzyme did not lose as much weight on one exercise regime as a control group on the same exercise plan. did.
Interestingly, the team also found a strong increase in plasma Lac-Phe levels after horse racing and physical activity in humans. Data from a human exercise group showed that sprint exercise induced the most dramatic increase in plasma Lac-Phe, followed by resistance training and then endurance training.
“This suggests that lac-fa is an ancient and conserved system that regulates feeding and is associated with physical activity in many animal species,” Long said.
“Our next steps include finding out more about how Lac-Phe mediates its effects in the body, including the brain,” Xu said. “Our goal is to learn to modify this practice pathway for therapeutic interventions.”
Source: Eurekalert
