7. Red/Near-Infrared Light Therapy
Red and near-infrared light can penetrate the skin and act on mitochondria through stimulation of a molecule called
cytochrome C oxidase. This molecule is part of the mitochondrial electron transport chain that produces ATP.
Red and near-infrared light enhance the efficiency of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and energy production.
By doing so, red/near-infrared light therapy also improves cellular signaling by ROS and triggers cellular changes that lead to beneficial cellular responses, including enhanced antioxidant defenses and improved cellular functioning. A number of benefits have been described for red/near-infrared light therapy, including, for example, accelerated
wound healing and increased capacity to
decrease muscle damage and improve
muscle recoveryfollowing exercise.
8. Cold Exposure
When we’re cold, two types of tissues respond immediately by
generating extra heat. One is skeletal muscle, which produces heat through shivering. The other is brown adipose tissue (BAT or brown fat), responsible for non-shivering heat production.
Shivering releases heat in the process of burning fuels and using ATP to power muscle contraction. Shivering thus recruits mitochondria to indirectly generate heat.
BAT, unlike other tissues, has a molecule that can uncouple respiration from ATP production and use it instead to
actively produce heat. BAT thus uses mitochondria to directly generate heat.
In both skeletal muscle and brown fat, cold stimulates an increase in mitochondrial activity and mitochondrial biogenesis. Therefore, cold exposure in the form of cold showers or cryotherapy can boost mitochondria to keep us warm.
9. Heat Exposure
Heat can also trigger beneficial biological responses. Heat acts as a mild stress signal and triggers cell responses that promote adaptation.
One of the main agents of that adaptation are mitochondria, as it has been shown that
heat stress triggers beneficial adaptive response in mitochondria that increase their functional capacity.
These effects
have been shown inskeletal muscle and
cardiac muscle, for example. This stands in line with studies showing that
routine sauna bathing can improve endurance performanceand reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, for example.
10. Supporting NAD+
NAD+ (from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a molecule derived from vitamin B3 found in every single cell in the body. NAD+ has a key role in mitochondrial function: It is the main molecule responsible for the delivery of the electrons that are extracted from food to the electron transport chain for ATP production.
NAD+ is therefore as important for cells as ATP itself. Consequently, NAD+
is essential for the maintenance of health.
NAD levels decrease naturally in many tissues
as we age. This decrease may also
contribute to the aging process.
However, we can boost NAD+ levels by supplying cells with nutrients that can help them optimize NAD+ metabolism. Doing so may counterbalance the age-related decrease in NAD+ and help support mitochondrial function,
protect against age-related diseases, and
support longevity.
Final Thoughts
Mitochondria sustain human life because they generate the energy that powers our cells. By supporting mitochondrial fitness, we are supporting the optimal functioning of pretty much every cell and system in the body.
Boosting mitochondria can help us live a long and healthy life.
Sara Adaes, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and biochemist working as a research scientist at Neurohacker Collective. Sara graduated in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, in Portugal. Her first research experience was in the field of neuropharmacology. She then studied the neurobiology of pain at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, where she got her Ph.D. in Neuroscience. In the meantime, she became interested in science communication and in making scientific knowledge accessible to the lay society. Sara wants to use her scientific training and skills to contribute to increasing the public understanding of science.