Rebecca and Anaya both seem to have very similar exercise, dietary and lifestyle habits – so why isn’t Rebecca making the same fitness gains as Anaya?
Researchers in Japan found that a protein secreted by the liver was associated with responsiveness to exercise. In studies of mice, and of humans, the presence of higher levels of the protein selenoprotein P was linked to reduced exercise capacity and exercise-related benefits.
Hirofumi Misu and colleagues from the Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences in Japan, said; ‘In particular, some people show complete non-responsiveness to exercise training in terms of aerobic improvement. Similarly, 15-20 per cent of patients with type 2 diabetes show a poor hypoglycemic effect to regular exercise therapy’.
Mice with higher levels of selenoprotein P were also found to have higher blood glucose levels.
In a supporting study, the same researchers explored the role of the protein in humans, and found that women with lower selenoprotein P levels had a higher maximal oxygen intake than those with higher levels.
So it’s a case of exercise resistance, as opposed to resistance exercise.
So what can Rebecca do if she is, in fact, selenoprotein P-deficient? The area needs further study, but the Japanese researchers suggested that there may be a role for drugs that reduce the protein, and thereby increase the responsiveness to exercise.
Source: Nature Medicine
