The Muscle compounds that improve your brain and immunity

Today we're talking about myokines, the muscle compound that you probably haven't heard of but protects your brain and improves your immunity.

Read time approx: 2 min 33 sec Before we get into that I want to let you know about a change coming to the newsletter. In the past each issue has been quite long and required extensive research research which consumes MANY hours each week. That's not sustainable for me long term and I want to provide value for you for many years to come, so moving forward each issue will be shorter.Nothing else will change.

Let's get into it.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

What are myokines?

Myokines are small proteins that are released from muscles during muscle contractions and they have wide ranging effects on the body, including;

  • Influencing brain function

  • Influencing immunity

  • Glucose regulation

  • Energy and bone metabolism

Why should you care?

Lack of exercise has been shown to lead to the "diseasome of physical inactivity."Or in other words a lack of exercise dramatically increases the likelihood of you getting specific diseases that are strongly influenced by physical inactivity.Those diseases are;

  • Depression

  • Dementia

  • Type II diabetes

  • Cardiovascular diseases

  • Colon cancer

  • Postmenopausal breast cancer

Beyond those specific diseases chronic systemic inflammation and neural degeneration are also common consequences of physical inactivity.

What does this have to do with myokines?Myokines appear to be the compounds that hold back the flood of these diseases.What does that mean?It means there's no substitute for exercise. Physically moving your body is the only way you're getting the benefits of these compounds and the less you're moving the less "myokine insurance" you have.

Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash

What should you do?

Start with the basics.Walking 21 minutes per day decreases your risk of heart disease by 30%. THAT'S EASY and it makes a big difference. If you can do that consistently you're on the right track.You don't have to overhaul your life over night to reap the benefits of myokines but you can't be sedentary. If you do live a sedentary lifestyle the data are clear, your mental and immunological health will take a massive hit. If you don't like walking find something you can do consistently that you enjoy, preferably activities that allow you to get at least 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity and 2 sessions of strength training. That's it.You don't have to complicate it more than that to start taking advantage of these amazing compounds.

If you enjoyed this issue of Vitality on Tap, please share it with your friends and family or anyone you believe will find value in learning about myokines and how they affect health. You can do so that easily by sending them THIS LINK