Be muscular without spending long hours at the gym . This is the track that is emerging thanks to scientists from the University of Michigan (United States). And for good reason: they discovered that Sestrines, proteins naturally present in the body, were able to imitate the effects of physical exercise on muscles. Their study was published in the journal Nature Communication .
Sestrines strengthen physical capacities
To reach this conclusion, the researchers conducted an experiment on two groups of flies : the first produced Sestrines, while in the second, this production capacity had been inhibited. The researchers found that flies producing this protein had better results than others.
But that’s not all: the researchers then stimulated the natural production of Sestrine in the flies of the first group. They then discovered that these had higher capacities than those of the second group, even at rest!
Complementary experiments in mice also showed that in rodents unable to produce sestrines, fat was not burnt during training, and aerobic capacity did not improve.
Fight against muscle wasting due to aging
However, dietary supplements based on Sestrines are not yet on the agenda, because all the mechanisms of this protein are not yet clear to researchers. It is therefore still a bit early to stop subscribing to the gym , especially since these results are not intended to encourage athletes to stop physical activity .
These conclusions are rather a promising avenue, particularly in the fight against muscle wasting due to aging or in the treatment of people who cannot exercise.
