Muscular Mitochondria
Exercising (or doing more of it) is a popular New Year's resolution, though usually for naught. Various studies have found that nearly one-quarter of people quit their resolution(s) by the end of the first week and almost half by the end of January. Only 8-9% stick with them for an entire year or to completion.
But if you're still busily huffing and puffing at the gym or at home, here's a little insight into what happens inside your body while you wait for gratifying external evidence.
When you push your body physically, such as by doing endurance training, your muscles respond by increasing the number of mitochondria -- the so-called "power plants" of cells. The key driver is a molecule called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha or PGC-1-alpha, a protein that basically regulates the expression of many genes in skeletal muscles. Besides boosting mitochondrial mass, PGC-1-alpha increases the number of blood vessels in muscles, improving the supply of nutrients and oxygen.
Strength training produces other effects, such as increasing the production of proteins that regulate muscle growth. More proteins, more muscle.
One thing to note: Building both endurance and strength simultaneously is difficult because some of the molecular adaptations in each counter one another. So, you might never look like Arnold Schwarzenegger and run like Usain Bolt, but reading this has likely made your brain bigger and swifter.
Body of Knowledge
According to acupuncturists, there is a point on the head that you can press to stop feeling hungry. It is located in the hollow just in front of the flap of the ear.
Get Me That, Stat!
The combined weight of all humans on Earth is estimated to be 390 million metric tons (a metric ton is a bit heavier than the familiar U.S. ton of 2,000 pounds), or 10 times the total weight of all wild land and marine mammals, according to a February 2023 study published in PNAS. That pales in comparison to the total weight of all domesticated mammals at an estimated 630 million metric tons.
Side note for cat lovers: The total mass of domestic cats in the world is more than that of all of the world's African savanna elephants combined.
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