I listened to a YouTube video yesterday by Dr Chris Palmer, Harvard psychiatrist, regarding this topic. He stated that exercise significantly increases the quantity of mitochondria in the muscles. They are the powerhouses of energy for the body, producing ATP, the fuel our body uses.
He stated that it’s not about muscle mass, but quantity of mitochondria. Working muscles that have stamina and endurance are high density mitochondria, show muscles are not.
It’s the reason that dark meat (high density) is better than white meat, (low density.)
It’s also the reason why brown fat is healthy while white fat is not.
He went on to explain how fasting and a ketone diet improves both physical and mental health. The keto diet makes mitochondria function better.
Sugar and starches make mitochondria “sticky.”
Studies have shown that fasting and keto even eliminated epileptic seizures without medication.
He is not a big proponent of vitamins and supplements. However, he did mention Urolithin A.
“Urolithin A (UA) is a naturally occurring compound derived from the metabolism of gut microbiota, which has attracted considerable research attention due to its pharmacological effects and potential implications in muscle health and performance.
Recent studies have demonstrated that Urolithin A exhibits diverse biological activities, encompassing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-aging properties.
In terms of muscle health, accumulating evidence suggests that Urolithin A may promote muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth through various pathways, offering promise in mitigating muscle atrophy. Moreover, Urolithin A exhibits the potential to enhance muscle health and performance by improving mitochondrial function and regulating autophagy.
Mitochondria use the blood sugar (glucose) to produce the ATP in the Krebs or Citric Acid Cycle.
Ketones are a better fuel than glucose in the Krebs Cycle producing ATP as they enter the production process later resulting in lower CO2 production. Thus your body maintains better metabolic flexibility.
This is one reason that respiration function improves in ketosis.
Warning: While ketosis can be a natural part of the body’s metabolic response to low carbohydrate intake, excessive ketosis, especially in individuals with diabetes, can lead to ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition where the blood becomes too acidic.