AUTOPHAGY: Exercise’s role in cell regeneration
July 19, 2019 • 1 min read
-- Growing interest in health and wellness has turned the spotlight to autophagy – the process through which cells recycle damaged proteins and organelles to counteract the negative effects of aging and disease.
The good news for everyone is that activating the process of autophagy is quite simple: Put down that fork!
There’s a bundle of research linking fasting and calorie restriction to the upregulation of autophagy, with evidence overwhelmingly suggesting that autophagy is induced in a wide variety of tissues and organs in response to food deprivation.
Autophagy on steroids
New research suggests exercise is like steroids for autophagy.
Danish researchers found a higher concentration of autophagy related proteins after 12, 24, and 36 hours of fasting in lean/trained people compared to overweight individuals, suggesting that people who exercise frequently may start undergoing autophagy in a shorter amount of time during a prolonged fast.
Pro tip: Get fit before fasting.