A new study reveals that a protein may help explain why exercising is harder after long periods of inactivity. Hello Africa/Getty Images Studies have shown that Piezo1, a protein found in the inner lining of blood vessels, can detect the rise in blood flow during physical exercise.
A new study in mice found that Piezo1 is essential for maintaining the density of capillaries in the muscles and the capacity for physical activity. These findings suggest that the presence of Piezo1 in blood vessels may modulate the ability for physical performance based on changes in blood flow during physical exercise. Physical inactivity may result in lower blood flow to the muscles, reduced activation of Piezo1, and subsequently a decline in exercise capacity.
Periods of physical inactivity due to a sedentary lifestyle, illness, or injury are associated with reduced ability for physical exercise, or detraining.A recent study in mice suggests that the Piezo1 protein expressed by endothelial cells lining the inner surface of blood vessels could mediate these effects of physical inactivity on exercise capacity. Previous researchTrusted Source has shown that the endothelial Piezo1 protein can detect changes in blood flow during physical activity. The present study found that the deactivation of Piezo1 resulted in a reduced density of capillaries in the muscle and a decline in the capacity for physical activity.
These data suggest that Piezo1 can modulate the local blood supply to muscles and thus physical performance capacity according to physical activity levels.
The study’s co-author Dr. Fiona Bartoli, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, told Medical News Today: “Although this study was performed in mice, the Piezo1 protein is also present in humans, indicating that the same molecular mechanism could exist. We suggest that deactivating Piezo1 by not doing enough exercise impacts physical performance by reducing the capillary density in muscles.” “This restricted blood flow means activity becomes more difficult, causing further inactivity and leading to a downward spiral. It helps to explain the biology of why exercise becomes harder the less you do and why it is important to exercise regularly to keep our Piezo1 proteins active to maintain our physical performance and health.”
