A recent research funded by the British Heart Foundation has suggested that doing less exercise could deactivate a vital protein in the body, causing further inactivity and making exercise more difficult. A paper titled ‘Endothelial Piezo sustains muscle capillary density and contributes to physical activity’ was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. University of Leeds scientists discovered that deactivating the Piezo protein reduces the density of capillaries carrying blood to the muscles.
The restricted blood flow meant that activity becomes more difficult and can lead to a reduction in how much exercise is possible. The team said that the results helped in explaining why exercise becomes harder over time of inactivity. Lead author Fiona Bartoli, a Postdoctoral Researcher in the University of Leeds’ School of Medicine said, “Exercise protects against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and cancer. Unfortunately, many people fail to exercise enough, for reasons such as injury and computer usage. This puts people at more risk of disease. The less people exercise, the less fit they become, often leading to a downward spiral.”
He added, “Although many responses to exercise are known, how the benefits of exercise are initially triggered at a molecular level is mysterious. Our study highlights the crucial link between physical activity and physical performance made at this level by Piezo1. Keeping our Piezo1s active by exercising may be crucial in our physical performance and health.”
During the experiment, scientists compared two groups of mice - a control group and a group whose Piezo levels had been disrupted for 10 weeks. Walking, climbing and running wheel activity was observed, with the Piezo1 mice showing a striking reduction in activity levels. This suggested an important role for Piezo1 in sustaining normal physical activity.
