Mitochondria
Episodes
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses GLP-1 agonists, alpha-lipoic acid, ubiquinone vs. ubiquinol, calcium needs, and liquid biopsy cancer screening.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick explores blood tests to track health, statin alternatives, mitochondrial supplements, and vitamin B12 and autism risk in her latest Q&A.
In the clip, Dr. Gibala discusses high-intensity interval training's future, stressing translating research into public health applications.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses GLP-1 agonists, alpha-lipoic acid, ubiquinone vs. ubiquinol, calcium needs, and liquid biopsy cancer screening.
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Rhonda Diet Omega-3 Pregnancy Mitochondria Vitamin B12 Muscle Sauna Cardiovascular Blood Test Red Light TherapyDr. Rhonda Patrick explores blood tests to track health, statin alternatives, mitochondrial supplements, and vitamin B12 and autism risk in her latest Q&A.
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In the clip, Dr. Gibala discusses high-intensity interval training's future, stressing translating research into public health applications.
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In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala outlines the relationship between exercise types, mitochondrial growth, and their combined effect on fat metabolism.
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In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala explains VO2 max's role in health and how non-athletes can optimize workouts to boost their cardiorespiratory fitness.
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Dr. Martin Gibala discusses HIIT's health benefits and describes common HIIT protocols.
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In this clip, Dr. Chris McGlory explains the potential mechanisms by which omega-3s impact muscle mass and function.
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In this clip, Dr. Mark Mattson describes the importance of incorporating rest, recovery, and refeeding into one's routine.
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In this clip, Dr. Satchin Panda explains the rationale behind the metabolic benefits associated with time-restricted eating.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick describes the many open questions that remain regarding the interaction between metformin and exercise at the molecular level.
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In this clip, Tim Ferriss and Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss acute versus chronic inflammation and how supplemental antioxidants can negate some of the benefits of exercise.
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Bioenergetic superiority of ketones and their role in reducing oxidative stress | Dominic D'AgostinoIn this clip, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino explains the interrelationship between ketones and lactate as sources of energy for the brain and the role ketones may have in reducing oxidative stress through greater energetic efficiency.
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In this clip, Dr. David Sinclair identifies some of the practical considerations of resveratrol supplementation and discusses his personal use of the compound.
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In this clip, Dr. David Sinclair discusses the current state of research on the NAD+ boosters nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide.
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In this clip, Dr. David Sinclair describes the role of NAD+ in the regulation of the body's circadian clock and sirtuin production.
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Mitophagy: a signal for mitochondrial biogenesis, metabolic adaptation, and cellular differentiationDr. Guido Kroemer describes mitophagy, a cellular signal for mitochondrial biogenesis, and a key player in other physiological processes.
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Dr. Guido Kroemer describes the cellular process of autophagy and what factors trigger its activation.
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Dr. Guido Kroemer describes how fasting associated with sickness behavior is critical to surviving infection.
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Dr. Guido Kroemer describes the spectacular biological phenomenon known as autophagy.
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Dr. Satchin Panda describes the beneficial effects of time-restricted feeding in mice in terms of mitochondrial health.
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Dr. Eric M. Verdin discusses the roles of the ketogenic diet, beta-hydroxybutyrate, HDAC inhibitors, NAD+, and more in the context of aging.
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Dr. Judith Campisi discusses the role of cellular senescence in the aging process and the development of cancer.
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Nutrition Vitamin D Metabolism Diabetes Telomeres Omega-3 Inflammation Depression DNA Damage Stem Cells Micronutrients Mitochondria Autophagy Autism Schizophrenia Resveratrol Sulforaphane Insulin Blue LightDr. Rhonda Patrick makes her fifth appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience.
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Ketosis Nutrition Brain Alzheimer's Diet Microbiome Performance Insulin Resistance Mitochondria Dementia Insulin SupplementsDr. Dominic D'Agostino discusses the health benefits associated with a modified Atkins diet, ketosis, and supplemental ketones.
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Dr. George Brooks discusses the metabolic pathway known as the “lactate shuttle" and its role in the recovery from traumatic brain injury.
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Nutrition Brain Diet Epigenetics Cholesterol Omega-3 Inflammation Micronutrients Multiple Sclerosis Mitochondria Vitamin K Antioxidant AutoimmunityDr. Terry Wahls discusses the nutrition protocol she used to reverse her secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis.
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Dr. Patrick describes how magnesium, an essential mineral that ~56% of the US population is deficient in, can help you maximize your mitochondria to increase oxidative capacity and, potentially, enhance exercise performance.
Topic Pages
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Autophagy
Autophagy, or “self-eating,” is a response to stress in which a cell destroys damaged or dysfunctional components in order to adapt to external conditions.
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Cold exposure
Cold exposure may be a hormetic stressor that reduces inflammation, activates antioxidant enzymes, and boosts the immune system to protect against age-related diseases.
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Hallmarks of aging
The hallmarks of aging are observable biological patterns of dysfunction that accrue in a biological organism over time.
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NAD+
NAD+ is a cofactor that plays an essential role in metabolism, DNA repair, and immunity. Its depletion accelerates aging.
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Nicotinamide mononucleotide
Nicotinamide mononucleotide is a precursor of NAD+, a coenzyme necessary for cellular energy production and DNA repair. It is available as a supplement.
News & Publications
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New insights on how some individuals with obesity can lose weight medicalxpress.com
Exercise boosts mitochondrial function and promotes weight loss among people who struggle to lose weight with dieting alone.
Most weight loss programs focus on reducing caloric intake. Although this strategy works for many people, a subset of people with obesity are diet-resistant – failing to lose weight even when adhering to a low-calorie diet. Findings from a new study suggest that exercise promotes weight loss in diet-resistant women by boosting mitochondrial function.
Mitochondria are tiny cellular organelles that produce energy in the presence of oxygen. They are often referred to as the “powerhouses of the cell” because of their role in the production of ATP. Mitochondrial dysfunction, the disruption of normal mitochondrial function that occurs over time, is a driver of many chronic diseases, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and is a hallmark of aging.
The investigators enrolled 20 women with obesity for the study. Half of the women had exhibited diet resistance when following a 900-calorie-per-day diet, while the other half had exhibited diet sensitivity. Both groups participated in a supervised, six-week exercise program that included both aerobic and resistance exercises, performed three times per week. The investigators assessed the women’s body composition and metabolic markers and collected muscle tissue samples for biopsy.
They found that at the end of the six-week exercise program, the women who were diet resistant exhibited improved body composition and muscle metabolism and increased numbers of muscle mitochondria. The exercise program elicited only minimal effects in women who were diet sensitive. Interestingly, the diet-sensitive women exhibited risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, suggesting that diet-sensitive obesity confers a greater risk for cardiometabolic disease.
These findings demonstrate that exercise promotes weight loss and metabolic health in women with obesity and diet resistance and may confer greater health benefits than rapid diet-induced weight loss. Learn more about the benefits of exercise in our overview article.
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Compound derived from walnuts and pomegranates may boost mitochondrial and muscle health. www.eurekalert.org
As a person ages, mitochondrial function declines, driving many age-related conditions, including the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. Findings from a recent study suggest that a compound derived from ellagic acid metabolism helps restore mitochondrial and muscle health in older adults.
Ellagic acid is a bioactive compound found in a wide variety of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, especially walnuts, pomegranates, and rose hips. Bacteria in the human gut break down ellagic acid to produce compounds called urolithins. Scientists have identified about 20 urolithins, but the most studied of these is urolithin A, which exerts potent anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The capacity to form urolithin A from ellagic acid varies considerably from person to person and decreases with age.
The randomized clinical trial involved 66 older adults (average age, 71 years) who had poor mitochondrial function. Half of the participants received 1,000 milligrams of urolithin A daily for four months; the other half received a placebo. The participants underwent muscle endurance tests and a timed walking test at the beginning of the study and again at various timepoints throughout the study. Study investigators measured ATP production in the participants' muscle and acylcarnitines, ceramides, and C-reactive protein (markers of mitochondrial health and inflammation) in the participants' blood.
At the end of the four-month study, participants who received the urolithin A supplement showed marked improvements in muscle endurance compared to those who received the placebo. Those who received the urolithin A also exhibited decreased levels of acylcarnitines, ceramides, and C-reactive protein.
These findings suggest that urolithin A, a compound derived from ellagic acid, promotes mitochondrial health and improves muscle endurance in older adults. Ellagic acid is a type of polyphenol. Learn more about polyphenols in our overview article.