Does it give youlaziness play sports? Is it hard for you to get up from the couch to go to the gym? You may have “lost”two key genes, according to a study by McMaster University (Canada). To reach this conclusion, the researchers worked with mice, some of which lackedtwo genes that control the activity of the AMPK protein, which is activated when we exercise, among other things to increase the consumption of sugar and oxygen in the muscle.
“Mice love to run,” explains Gregory Steinberg, a co-author of the work. “But while normal mice run miles and miles, those that have lost these two genes make very short runs; and that in appearance they are healthy and are identical to the rest,” he adds. Researchers have found that, chen lacking these genes, animals have lower levels of mitochondria(the “powerhouses” of cells) and that your muscles have a harder time absorbing glucose while exercising. ? When we practice sports regularly, the number of mitochondria in the muscles increases, while if we do not exercise the concentration of these components in the cells is reduced ?, explains Steinberg, adding that with this study they have discovered that it is the AMPK enzyme that regulates this production.
The lesson we must learn from all this, according to Steinberg, is that if we reduce the level of physical activity, the volume of mitochondria in our muscles decreases, and therefore it becomes increasingly difficult for us to exercise.
