Exercise or extra fries? New study debunks the brain's long time dilemma

Is your brain in a dilemma wondering if you should go for exercise or instead have those tasty extra fries A study released by Swiss researchers on Tuesday may finally provide your answerUntil now science has had no idea what happens in our brain when we make this decisionResearchers at ETH Zurich have uncovered a key factor in the brains decisionmaking process when it comes to this particular decision Scientists discovered that the chemical messenger orexin and its neurons may be transferable to humans explaining why some resist temptations and maintain regular physical activityResearchers found that mice with a blocked orexin system preferred a milkshake over exercise while those with an intact orexin system spent more time on the running wheel and less time at the milkshake barDenis Burdakov professor of Neuroscience at ETH Zurich explains the significance of these findings He notes that while many people struggle to get enough exercise some manage to resist daily temptations and stay activeUnderstanding what happens in the brain to facilitate this decisionmaking process is essential for developing new strategies to promote physical activityAccording to the World Health Organization 80 per cent of adolescents and 27 per cent of adults do not get enough exercise and obesity rates are rising alarmingly among both adults and childrenThe study focused on orexin a relatively recently discovered messenger substance in the brain While other chemicals like serotonin and dopamine have long been known and studied orexins functions are only now being clarified The researchers found that when mice were given a choice between running on a wheel and enjoying a strawberryflavoured milkshake the presence of an intact orexin system significantly influenced their preference for physical activityThe implications of these findings extend beyond basic neuroscience Daria PelegRaibstein a group leader at ETH Zurich emphasises that this research could help in understanding and addressing the global obesity epidemic and related metabolic disordersBy exploring how the brain arbitrates between food consumption and physical activity scientists can develop more effective interventions to overcome barriers to exercise particularly for those whose physical activity is limitedThe next step for the researchers is to verify these results in humans given that the brain functions involved are known to be practically the same in both species This could involve examining patients with a restricted orexin system due to genetic reasons or observing people who receive drugs that block orexin Such studies could pave the way for new approaches to encourage exercise and reduce obesity rates ultimately improving public health outcomesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever