Melatonin shown to improve muscle energy efficiency, offering a potential therapy to combat 'diabesity'

Medical Xpress / University of Granada / Free Radical Biology and Medicine / Antioxidants ^ | March 5, 2025 | Diego Salagre et al

[ConservativeMind]

An international study has revealed that melatonin, known for its ability to regulate the sleep/wake cycle, can restore the composition of muscle fibers and protect skeletal muscle from damage caused by obesity and type 2 diabetes, known as "diabesity."

The results show that this hormone improves mitochondrial function, reduces cellular stress and prevents programmed cell death, offering a new therapeutic strategy.

The study showed the administration of melatonin to obese and diabetic rodents for 12 weeks succeeded in promoting the conversion of glycolytic (fast) muscle fibers to oxidative (slow) fibers, improving the energy efficiency of the muscle. This change not only optimizes energy production, but also protects the muscle from deterioration caused by "diabesity," a condition that combines obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Muscle fibers are divided into three types: slow twitch (type I) or red fibers due to the large number of mitochondria they possess, fast twitch (type IIb) or white fibers and intermediate (type IIa). In addition, each muscle in our body has a specific variable and changing proportion of each of these fiber types, depending on the type of movement performed. During short periods of intense muscular activity, white fibers with glycolytic metabolism predominate, and during prolonged periods of low-intensity muscular activity, red fibers with oxidative metabolism predominate.

Melatonin managed to restore the healthy proportion of these fibers, increasing oxidative fibers and reducing glycolytic fibers, reversing the effects of "diabesity," which improves the muscle's ability to burn fat and produce energy. In addition, melatonin showed effects similar to those of prolonged aerobic activity, especially improving mitochondrial function and regulating calcium levels in cell compartments, which reduces cellular stress and prevents programmed cell death.

"We discovered that melatonin restores calcium levels in the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, which helps to reduce cell damage," says Dr. Agil.

[Sequoyah101]

I combine it with various types of cheese before going to sleep. Almost as good as the larium induced dreams I had working in the tropics!

Switching to Malarone was not near as exciting.

[faithhopecharity]

That’s brilliant!
Why didn’t I think of that? I must steady have dementia ?
Smiles
!

[faithhopecharity]

Good! I’m glad it works for you.

I’m just cautious about taking meds I don’t absolutely need. If I need one I take it. If I can get by okay without it, I skip it.
Just the old curmudgeon in me I guess.
Smiles.

[Bob434]

bump- thnaks for the post-

[Jamestown1630]

My Grandmother was born in 1890 in the Tidewater of Virginia, and contracted malaria as a kid. She had repeated ‘relapses’ of symptoms for decades.

I came along in the early 1950s, and recall her buying quinine repeatedly when you could still buy it in the stores here. That’s all she knew to do...

[Jamestown1630]

Melatonin isn’t exactly a medication - it’s more like a dietary supplement.

It’s a natural hormone of a certain type that we secrete; but as we age we don’t have as much of it as we did in youth.

It was first suggested to me by a Naturopath, who was generally antipathetic toward ‘drugs’.

[RummyChick]

Low Dose Naltrexone causes very wild dreams. The Dreams are one of the reasons people post about why they quit taking it.

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve never heard of that.

But my FIL used the nicotine patch for a while to try and stop smoking; it gave him such disturbing dreams that he stopped using it, and just quit smoking on his own.

[Cobra64]

Thanks you, I did not know that. 👍

[pollywog]

I need to repurchase some Melatonin. I did use it for a while but didn't need it up until now.

I agree, it doesn't make you sleep all the time for sure. In fact it is VERY MILD and natural.

[pollywog]

I take 10mg of Melatonin along with 5,000 iu of D3 and 50 mg of K2 every night right before bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why do you take the D3 and K2 right before bed? any specific reason?

[faithhopecharity]

ok thanks very much

i will try it

thank you kindly

fhc

[Cobra64]

Nope. After I brush my teeth, I take the pills. Is that bad?

[Jamestown1630]

You can buy it in several strengths, now; I’d start with 2 or 3 mg., to see how if affects you.

[pollywog]

thanks for this information. I didn’t know about the different strengths.

[pollywog]

Nope... not bad at all. Just wondered if there was a particular reason you took the Vit D3 at night.:-)

[crosdaddy]

Hopefully you’ve just eaten, as it is a fat soluble vitamin.

[Chicory]

Thanks for this information. I have been taking it in the morning and may or may not eat breakfast. I will start taking them with fat.