Irisin: a fat-burning hormone for athletes

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Irisin: a fat-burning hormone for athletes
Irisin: a fat-burning hormone for athletes
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Find out why scientists are inclined that the hormone Irisin will help you lose weight forever, only scientific evidence. Everyone knows that to lose weight, it is enough to manipulate the indicator of the energy value of the nutrition program. However, to get faster results, physical activity is indispensable. Exercise not only accelerates the utilization of adipose tissue, but also improves health. Today we will talk about a new substance that was discovered several years ago - irisin, a hormone for fat burning.

The fat-burning hormone irisin: research findings

Two laboratory workers
Two laboratory workers

During research conducted in 2012, scientists discovered a new hormonal substance synthesized by the body under the influence of physical exertion. It takes an active part in burning fat stores, and also helps to strengthen muscles. The new substance was named irisin - a fat-burning hormone for athletes.

However, subsequent experiments showed not so encouraging results, but first things first. There were two such studies and they gave rise to doubts about the methods used for analyzing the concentration of a substance in the blood. At the same time, the head of a group of scientists who managed to discover the fat-burning hormone irisin for athletes, Bruce Spilgelman stated the reasons for the skepticism of colleagues.

In his opinion, this is due to the method by which the synthesis of a substance in the cellular structures of muscle tissue was discovered. Spielgelman, in collaboration with Stephen Gigi, used an innovative quantitative mass spectrometry method in their study. As a result, they suggested that during the synthesis (translation) of irisin, ATA is used instead of the ATG signal in the body.

It was the fact that the hormonal substance was synthesized by the ATA signal that caused other researchers to fail to find the hormonal substance, which they perceived as a pseudogene. From this it was concluded that irisin is not capable of producing any significant effect on the body. Today, scientists know only a few genes that use the ATA signal, but this fact cannot be a reason to refute their existence.

These substances are simply separated into a separate class, since their molecular structure is very complex. The authors of the discovery say that the human fat-burning hormone for athletes, irisin, resembles a substance found in the body of rodents. In their opinion, a person's blood always contains several nanograms of the hormone, which in no way can reduce its importance for our body.

The same insulin can also be contained in small doses, but its role in the functioning of the body is not in doubt. In response to the criticism of the scientific world in their address, Harvard researchers have developed systems for measuring the concentration of the hormone in the blood of athletes. Gigi and Spilgelman were supported by independent researcher Francesco Celi at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. He is confident that the new research methodology will prove that the fat-burning hormone irisin for athletes is present in human blood.

According to Seli, the method for determining the concentration of the hormonal substance is quite accurate. Also scientists are confident. That research in this direction must be continued and, first of all, to study the mechanisms of the hormone. The most important is to determine how irisin can affect white and brown adipose tissue, as well as energy processes.

At this point in time, the discovery of a new hormonal substance is seen as a major breakthrough in the field of medicine. Recall that scientists have to reveal many secrets of the effect of physical activity on the human body. The recently discovered fat-burning hormone for athletes, irisin, will take another step towards success.

In the course of studies on rodents, it was proved that the substance has a positive effect on blood composition and metabolic processes. Since human studies have not yet been conducted, it is too early to talk about the effectiveness of the hormone for our body. We can say with complete confidence that under the influence of high-intensity training, the concentration of irisin in the blood increases sharply. Subsequent research will likely use a protocol created by scientists at Harvard.

However, the new method has a rather serious drawback - when preparing a blood sample for research, part of the hormone breaks down, which negatively affects the measurement accuracy. Gigi and his colleague are optimistic and are currently working to improve their research protocol.

Fat-burning hormone irisin: famous facts

Girl squeezes her fat folds
Girl squeezes her fat folds

In tests in which mice took part, the substance was able to slow down the processes of liponeogenesis by 20-60%. As we said above, now it is not necessary to draw far-reaching conclusions and it is necessary to keep your head cool. It is possible that the fat-burning hormone irisin for athletes will be an excellent tool for fighting excess weight, but the opposite situation is also possible. Let's talk about what has become known from the rodent studies.

Fat burning and other effects

Today, scientists attribute a lot of positive effects to irisin, for example:

  1. Slowing down the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which leads to a decrease in the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
  2. Acceleration of metabolism and optimization of energy expenditure in the myocardium.
  3. Enhanced biogenesis in mitochondria.
  4. Restoration of the natural length of telomeres in cellular structures, which is extremely important in the prevention of many ailments, as well as to slow down the aging process.

Improving the diagnosis of disorders in the endocrine system

It is possible that the fat burning hormone irisin for athletes in the future can be used to diagnose many ailments of the endocrine system. For example, the substance can become a marker of polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescent girls. As a result, doctors will have the opportunity to start therapy earlier.

Recall that this is a fairly common disease that suffers from a fairly large number of women of reproductive age. According to international health organizations, their number reaches 20 percent. Among the main symptoms of the disease should be highlighted:

  • Ovulation problems.
  • Acceleration of the synthesis of testosterone in the female body.
  • Obesity.
  • Increased insulin resistance.

Any problems with the work of the endocrine system in the female body can become a serious obstacle to normal ovulation. The recently discovered fat-burning hormone irisin for athletes can help diagnose this ailment.

In adolescence, the concentration of the hormone is increased

Greek scientists conducted an experiment in which 23 adolescent girls suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as 17 girls with no health problems of a similar age, took part. The representatives of the first group showed not only an increased level of testosterone, but also of irisin. Scientists will continue to study the role of the new hormone.

One of the most effective treatments for this ailment is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the diet. As you know, this allows you to reduce the insulin resistance of the body, which is now considered one of the main reasons for the development of the disease.

Irisin and brown adipose tissue

Today's article is primarily devoted to the fat burning properties of the new hormonal substance and it's time to return to this issue. Scientists have found that irisin, a fat-burning hormone for athletes, accelerates the conversion of white adipose cells into brown ones. Recall that these tissues are not intended to store energy reserves, but to burn them.

Based on the available results from mice studies, scientists have suggested that 50 grams of brown adipose tissue can burn about 20 percent of the calories from food daily. This gives reason to talk about the extremely important role of brown fat in the fight against excess weight.

During the experiment, it was found that there is a direct correlation between the activity of brown adipose tissues and the rate of metabolic processes. In addition, it is assumed that in some categories of people the number of brown fat cells is significantly higher than in others:

  1. The number of brown adipose tissues in the body of thin people is much higher in comparison with fat people.
  2. At a young age, the amount of these tissues is higher.
  3. The amount of brown fat is influenced by the concentration of sugar in the blood.

Babies have a lot of brown fat, which protects the baby's body from hypothermia. As we age, the amount of tissue begins to shrink and they are mainly located in the neck and around the blood vessels to warm the blood. Scientists are confident that the amount of brown fat can be increased, for example, using cryotherapy.

An interesting fact is that this type of tissue is in many ways similar to muscles in terms of their behavior. It is with this that scientists explain the ability of brown fat to accelerate lipolysis processes. Bruce Spielgelman is known in scientific circles not only for the fact that he was able to discover the fat burning hormone irisin for athletes. He carried out quite a lot of research on brown adipose tissues.

It was he who was able to discover the substance PRDM16, which in the body is an activator of the process of creating brown fat. It regulates the conversion of immature cellular structures into muscle fibers or brown fat. Another group of scientists was able to find another substance that is a kind of trigger for brown adipose tissues - BMP-7.

It is too early to draw far-reaching conclusions about the role of irisin in the fight against obesity. Scientists will continue to work in this direction, and we need to be patient. In conclusion, we note that according to one of the hypotheses, the fat-burning hormone irisin for athletes was created by the body as a protective agent against low ambient temperatures. Once produced in muscle tissue, the hormonal substance accelerates the conversion of white adipose cell structures into brown ones, which improves the body's thermoregulation by burning large amounts of energy.

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