MELATONIN PROTECTS SKELETAL MUSCLE FROM DAMAGE CAUSED BY "DIABESITY"
An international study led by the University of Granada (UGR) has revealed that melatonin, known for its ability to regulate the sleep/wake cycle, can restore the composition of muscle fibers and protect skeletal muscle from damage caused by obesity and type 2 diabetes, known as "diabesity".
The results, published in the journals Free Radical Biology and Medicine and Antioxidants, show that this hormone improves mitochondrial function, reduces cellular stress and prevents programmed cell death, offering a new therapeutic strategy to combat this metabolic disease.
Improvement and protection of the muscles
The study, led by Ahmad Agil, professor of pharmacology at the University of Granada, showed that the administration of melatonin to obese and diabetic rodents for 12 weeks succeeded in promoting the conversion of glycolytic (fast) muscle fibers to oxidative (slow) fibers, improving the energy efficiency of the muscle. This change not only optimizes energy production, but also protects the muscle from deterioration caused by "diabesity", a condition that combines obesity and type 2 diabetes.
2025-03-05T15:03:33Z