Scientists reveal on October 10 in an article published at bioRxiv.org that marathon runners appear to rely on myelin, the fatty tissue coiled around nerve fibers, for energy during a race.
Mustapha Bouhrara, a neuroimaging scientist at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, adds, “This is definitely an intriguing observation
The idea that myelin lipids are used as fuel during prolonged exercise is quite plausible.”
Mustapha Bouhrara, adds the work may have therapeutic ramifications if the study authors’ observations turn out to be accurate.
Myelin sheathes were long believed to be assembled, inert structures of insulation that don’t change much after they’re made,” he explains.
Evidence now exists that myelin is a dynamic structure that changes in size and abundance in response to cellular circumstances.
He claims that on a regular basis, fatty molecules and other myelin sheath constituents flip, dissolving and reassembling the insulating substance.
According to studies by Nave’s group, when sugar, the brain’s usual energy source, is in short supply, brain cells in mice may be able to access these in-flux fats.
His team is currently tracking the trajectory of their discoveries to determine whether the myelin dip causes any changes in brain function and how long it takes for full recovery.