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Exercise burns body fat, but for some people, losing fat is much more difficult than for others. Why do the same exercises show such different weight loss effects for different individuals? A research team from Kobe University in Japan has revealed the reason. They discovered new signal molecules closely related to the effects of exercise on the body. The research findings have been published in the latest issue of the journal “Molecular Metabolism.”
Previously, researchers had identified a protein signal molecule called PGC-1α. However, there was no clear conclusion on whether an increase in the level of this protein would lead to differences in exercise-induced weight loss effects.
This time, a team led by endocrinologist Wataru Ogawa from Kobe University found that PGC-1α actually has several different variants. These newly discovered PGC-1α variants, called “b” and “c,” function almost identically to the traditional “α” version. However, during exercise, their production in muscles increases more than 10-fold compared to the α version, which doesn’t show such an increase.
The research team hypothesized that the signal molecules regulating energy metabolism during exercise are these newly discovered versions rather than the previously known form.
To test this hypothesis, the team conducted animal experiments. In the experiments, mice lacked the b and c versions of the signal molecule PGC-1α but retained the standard α version. Researchers measured muscle growth, fat burning, and oxygen consumption in mice during rest, short-term, and long-term exercise. Additionally, since insulin-resistant and obese individuals typically have lower levels of signal molecules, the team also recruited volunteers with and without type 2 diabetes to undergo tests similar to those performed on mice.
The results showed that although all versions of the signal molecules trigger similar biological responses, their different levels have significant impacts on the health of organisms. Organisms with only PGC-1α but lacking the PGC-1αb and c versions generally showed little response to short-term exercise stimuli and had poor adaptability. This resulted in less oxygen consumption and fat burning during and after exercise for these individuals.
The research team emphasized that a deeper understanding of the physiological activities of different versions of PGC-1α could help develop treatments for obesity. If a substance that can increase the b and c versions of signal molecules could be found, it might be possible to develop drugs that enhance energy consumption during exercise or even without exercise, thereby effectively treating obesity.
