Discover Lac-Phe and the molecular benefits of exercise
What do mice have to do with your exercise routine? Research consistently shows that exercise can protect individuals from the adverse effects of obesity. However, there is still a lot of unknown about why exercise can create this protection. Recently, a team of researchers decided to investigate what happens in our bodies when we exercise using mice. Their results show that exercising may help regulate what you eat and your energy levels.
In this study, investigators drew blood from mice, racehorses, and humans after they each completed a research-based exercise routine. All three produced a compound in their blood known as N-lactoyl-phenylalanine or Lac-Phe. This similarity across tests allowed investigators to conclude that mammals commonly produce this compound in the blood during exercise.
Following this discovery, researchers began injecting the Lac-Phe compound into the blood of mice who were fed a high-fat diet. They wanted to see how the compound affected their weight and behaviors, knowing it might also apply to humans. Soon, researchers noticed that mice treated with the compound ate half the amount of food over a 12-hour period than those not treated with the compound. They also noted that the treated mice had lower blood sugar than those who were not treated.
When continued over ten days, mice that were obese and also treated with the Lac-Phe compound lost weight. With further study, investigators discovered even more about how this compound is absorbed by the body to regulate food intake.
But for those who want to quit mousing around and get to the point, what does this research about mice have to do with our health?
By treating the mice, researchers could carefully study a significant change that happens to the mammalian body during exercise. As mammals, we can add the Lac-Phe compound to our blood with exercise and likely help control our food intake and blood sugar levels. Rather than just being motivated by the “it’s good for you” argument, here is clear research suggesting that exercise is changing your health on a molecular level. It can be challenging to stick with exercise when you can’t see the change happening, but – check the research – adding exercise to your routine is worth it! Don’t give in to your feelings in the short term. Commit to better health for the long term!
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Resources
An exercise-inducible metabolite that suppresses feeding and obesity
