Mitochondrial health, explained simply: why you get tired at the cellular level — and what “charges” your cells
Mitochondria are the power plants of your cells: how much energy you feel during the day depends on them. We look at what mitochondria do, what happens to them with age, and which way to support mitochondrial health has the strongest backing from research.
Questions and answers
What are mitochondria, in simple terms?
They’re tiny “power plants” inside your cells. They produce ATP — the cell’s energy currency, which powers almost every process in the body.
What do mitochondria do?
Their main job is producing energy. Beyond that, mitochondria take part in the natural death of old cells, store calcium and generate heat.
How can you improve mitochondrial function?
The most convincing evidence is about exercise. In a Mayo Clinic study, 12 weeks of interval training increased muscle mitochondrial capacity by 49% in younger participants and by 69% in older ones.
How are mitochondria and fatigue linked?
The energy you feel is produced in your cells, and with a sedentary life your muscles don’t need many “power plants.” But constant fatigue can have many causes, so if it doesn’t go away, it’s worth discussing with your doctor.
Read also
Sources
- Medical News Today — Mitochondria: Form, function, and disease
- Mayo Clinic News Network — Mayo Clinic discovers high-intensity aerobic training can reverse aging processes in adults
- ScienceDaily — How exercise, interval training in particular, helps your mitochondria stave off old age (Cell Metabolism, 2017)