Academics from four groups have revealed a molecular mechanism that helps regulate how much energy our muscles burn.
After conducting preliminary tests on mice, scientists believe we could learn to control this molecular mechanism, and help people who have a hard time burning calories.
Experiments show that this mechanism is controlled by channels that are sensitive to something called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This is the “energy currency” that our cells use to keep our body moving. These channels can detect ATP and then, based on what they detect and how much energy they release, can regulate how our muscles perform. In many people, namely obese people, these channels can function in a way that store up excess energy or calories. This leads to having excess body fat since the muscles don’t get a chance to burn that energy.
But scientists feel that medical treatment may be able to target these channels and disable them. This could possibly allow obese people to naturally expend more energy and become leaner over time. Right now, the researchers hope to find out how this discovery can help people who aren’t prone to getting enough exercise.
