Popeye eats a can of spinach and builds toned muscles.Ordinary people eat onepillcan also replacesports？
In the “Nature” magazine in June this year, a discovery caught people’s attention.it makes a lot not to lovesportsOr people who cannot exercise have reverie.
Scientists from Stanford University, Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have found a bacterium in the blood of lab mice that have undergone strenuous exercise.molecular. The substance, Lac-Phe, is an amino acid produced during exercise, consisting of lactic acid (a byproduct of strenuous exercise that can cause sore and burning muscles) and phenylalanine (an amino acid that derived from the breakdown of proteins) synthesized in cells.[1]
The researchers also found that levels of Lac-Phe increased significantly in the blood when athletes engaged in physical activity and when horses participated in horse races. Data from humans showed that the most significant increase in Lac-Phe was sprinting, followed by resistance training, and then endurance training.
The researchers fed Lac-Phe to mice who were obese on a high-fat diet, and the substance quickly suppressed the mice’s appetite, reducing their food intake by 50 percent within 12 hours, but with less exercise and energy expenditure. did not change. After 10 days of ingesting the substance, the mice had decreased total food intake, reduced body fat, body weight, and improved glucose tolerance. This suggests that simply by ingesting Lac-Phe, the mice achieved exercise-like effects.
In contrast, when specific methods were used to block the synthesis of Lac-Phe in mice, it increased post-exercise food intake and obesity.
The findings may be more helpful for older or frail people who can’t get enough exercise, the researchers said. Maybe in the future, those with osteoporosis,heartPeople with sickness and other diseases may take these substances to combat the disease.Stanford University is applying for a patent on the substance, which includes the use of it to treatmetabolismdisease.
In fact, this is not the first time that the scientific community has discovered a “magic medicine” that can bring regarding exercise effects.
Back in 2008, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discovered an ingredient called “compound 516” that boosts endurance, even in inactive people, some called the “movementpill」。[2]
Another study, published in Nature in 2020, showed a protein called Sestrin. It is also produced by movement.Animal experiments have shown that this substance can improve endurance andmetabolism。[3]
Take a pill and stop exercising?
Seeing these new studies, many people may think that taking these substances into pills is equivalent to exercising, and it can also help lose weight, which is a lot easier!
However, can these magic pills really replace the effects of exercise?
Modern medicine has discovered that when exercising, all aspects of the human body undergo changes, not just one or twomolecularchange. The effects of exercise are extremely complex, involving the comprehensive linkage and activation of countless molecules, cells and organs throughout the body. In other words, the human body is like a miniature world, and parts of the world are changing when it moves.
Exercise affects at least 700 metabolites!Provides systemic benefits
All types of exercise change the metabolism of the whole body.[4]
With the development of detection technology, more and more metabolites released by exercise have been discovered.
Scientists analyzed blood metabolites before and following strenuous exercise in the human body and found that exercise affected 728 metabolites in the body[5].196 metabolites are dramatically altered following endurance and resistance exercise[6]。
During exercise, various tissues, including bones, muscles, adipose tissue, and internal organs, release various exercise factors into the blood. These factors continue to act on the human body, allowing us to obtain rich and beneficial effects.
Six widely recognized and representative metabolites are closely related to exercise, including α-ketoglutarate (AKG), lactic acid, and kynuric acid (KYNA).
These substances are produced during exercise and flow to various tissues and organs through blood plasma, further exerting a synergistic effect. At the same time, they are also the raw materials for many biologically active substances, which can further generate substances that are beneficial to the human body.
What follows: decreased appetite, decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, suppressed bone loss, improved insulin resistance, blood pressure, vascular aging, decreased inflammation, protected nerves, kidneys, and multiple organs, neurodegenerative diseases, aging delay…
Plasma levels of many metabolites increase with age, some of which may be associated with aging and age-related diseases. And exercise will reduce the level of these substances, from this perspective, exercise can fight aging.
When you exercise, your gut bacteria also change
Not just metabolites, but gut microbiota also changes during exercise.
There were significant differences in gut microbiota between those who exercised and those who didn’t. Athletes have a higher diversity of gut microbiota. With the increase of exercise intensity, the abundance of Clostridium prazines, Lachnospira and Akkermansia in the human intestinal tract will gradually increase. And the more inactive people, the poorer the amount of probiotics in their guts.[7]
Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that is thought to be beneficial to gut health, is the main energy source for intestinal cells and plays a key role in maintaining epithelial tissue stability and immunity. Butyrate-producing bacteria were more abundant in the guts of exercisers, who had higher concentrations of butyrate in their bodies. (Recommended reading:34 years of chronic illness healed!Vitamin D protects the intestines and boosts immunity）
During exercise, the body’s anti-cancer mechanism continues to improve
During exercise, various anti-cancer mechanisms in the body are constantly being adjusted and improved. Exercise in cancer patients can inhibit the growth and metastasis of cancer cells and improve the side effects of treatment.[8]
The right semicircle in the above figure is the anti-cancer mechanism initiated during exercise: inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis, regulating cancer metabolism, and regulating immune environment.
The left semicircle shows the positive effects of exercise on cancer, including reducing adverse reactions to cancer treatment, improving the efficacy of cancer treatment, and reducing cancer risk.
To give a few examples. Physical activity can significantly reduce fatigue during cancer chemotherapy and can also prevent chemotherapy-induced lymphedema, thereby balancing the damage from nerve agents. The combination of exercise and radiation therapy can improve the apoptosis of cancer cells, which also improves the effect of radiation therapy.[9][10][11]
When you exercise, the brain is quietly changing
Exercise affects different parts of the brain.
Elderly people with high aerobic capacity have a larger hippocampus. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 3 times a week for 12 months can increase the volume of the hippocampus by regarding 2%. Exercise also counteracts atrophy in the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex.[12][13]
Depressed patients have brain damage, loss of volume in the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex, as well as impaired white matter integrity. Exercise can counteract depression by counteracting these changes.[14]
How to exercise for the elderly and people with disabilities?
However, the scientists who made the “exercise pill” hope to improve the situation of the elderly and those with physical disabilities. What if these people want to exercise?
In general, adults do at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity, such as walking; and 2 days of muscle training, such as squats.[15]
For those aged 65 and older, it is also recommended to add exercises to improve balance, such as practicing standing on one foot. (Recommended reading:Standing on one foot: 1 move to prevent bone loosening and increase muscle strength has 3 major benefits）
Elderly people who are not very strong can do it gradually. Start with the simplest exercises such as stretching and walking, and gradually increase the time and intensity of exercise when the body is not too tired, and finally achieve the ideal amount of exercise.
People with limited mobility due to specific diseases, such as knee surgery, pulmonary obstruction, etc., can consult a physiotherapist and physiotherapist. Check your body for problems and find an exercise pattern that works for you. Rehabilitation while exercising, killing two birds with one stone.
In addition to simple walking, water aerobics and yoga, there is another exercise method suitable for the elderly and those with limited mobility, which is Qigong. Qigong movements are usually slow and gentle, and can also play a role in regulating physical and mental health.
Living in a chaotic world, with a healthy mind, just seeHealth 1+1！
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Responsible editor: Li Qingfeng
