Food or exercise? A chemical in the brain helps us decide

Walking on the street, imagine you have found yourself at a crossroads. A well-equipped gym here, a cozy café serving lip-smacking strawberry milkshakes there. The brain’s command center must make a decision, and it’s not as straightforward as you would think. Which to choose: exercise or indulgence?

But thanks to the team of researchers from ETH Zurich, we might have unraveled the mystery behind this decision-making process.

The prime suspect in this case: a chemical messenger named orexin. As it turns out, the neurons that produce orexin might be the key determinant as to whether we opt for a workout session or a delectable taste treat.

Bitter truth on sedentary lives

Leaving the comfort of the couch for some vigorous physical activity doesn’t exactly sound appealing to everyone, does it? 

The World Health Organization crunches the numbers and the results are stark. With 80% of teenagers and 27% of adults insufficiently active, we’re looking at a worrying rise in obesity rates, spanning all age brackets.

Brain choosing exercise

Despite the grim statistics, some people manage to shun the ever-present temptations and get their fair share of exercise. 

This observation fascinated Denis Burdakov, Professor of Neuroscience at ETH Zurich. His curiosity drove him to dig deeper into how our brains help us choose sweat over sweetness.

Enter orexin. Among the hundreds of brain-active messengers, orexin is a relatively new find. It’s not as well studied as its counterparts like serotonin and dopamine, but Professor Burdakov’s research is casting a new spotlight on this dark horse.

Orexin’s unusual influence

Decision-making was always credited to dopamine. But it has a flaw. Our brain releases dopamine for both, indulging in food and indulging in exercise. So, why do we favor one over the other?

The researchers set up a clever experiment. Mice could pick from eight options, including a running wheel and a delicious strawberry milkshake. They compared the decisions made by normal mice and mice whose orexin system was either blocked by a drug or through genetic manipulation.

The results were startling. Mice with a functional orexin system spent double the time running and half the time savoring milkshakes compared to their counterparts. This suggests orexin has a significant influence when choosing between food and physical activity.

“This means that the primary role of the orexin system is not to control how much the mice move or how much they eat,” Burdakov says. “Rather, it seems central to making the decision between one and the other, when both options are available.” 

Brain’s decision to exercise or eat

The observations of mice behavior could spill over to us humans too. This is because the brain functions involved in deciding between eating and exercising, surprisingly, are quite similar across species.

“It will now be a matter of verifying our results in humans,” says Daria Peleg-Raibstein, group leader at ETH Zurich.

Understanding the role of orexin in decision-making opens up intriguing discussions regarding motivation and behavior.

As we navigate our daily lives filled with choices, the influence of orexin can manifest in various ways, impacting not only our physical activity levels but also our overall lifestyle choices.

For instance, individuals with higher orexin activity might experience greater motivation to engage in exercise, viewing it as a rewarding experience rather than a chore.

This paradigm shift could foster healthier habits, ultimately allowing us to harness the biochemical pathways in our brains to promote active lifestyles.

How can we increase orexin activity?

You can increase orexin activity through several methods:

Regular exercise: Physical activity can boost orexin production.

Healthy diet: Eating a balanced diet with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates helps.

Sleep hygiene: Consistent sleep patterns and good sleep quality support orexin levels.

Stress management: Reducing stress through techniques like meditation can help.

Exposure to light: Natural light exposure during the day regulates orexin production.

Avoiding stimulants: Limit caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep and orexin levels.

Targeting the brain for healthier lifestyles

The insights gleaned from the research highlight a broader public health perspective. If orexin does indeed play a crucial role in whether individuals favor exercise over indulgence, it may pave the way for innovative interventions targeting this biochemical pathway.

Future therapies could aim to enhance orexin signaling, thereby potentially increasing exercise motivation in individuals struggling with sedentary lifestyles.

Coupled with educational initiatives about the importance of physical activity, such strategies could prove instrumental in combating the rising tide of obesity and associated health issues across populations, fostering a healthier society for future generations.

New path against obesity

This breakthrough research opens up a new chapter in tackling the global obesity crisis and associated metabolic disorders. 

“If we understand how the brain arbitrates between food consumption and physical activity, we can develop more effective strategies for addressing the global obesity epidemic and related metabolic disorders,” says Peleg-Raibstein.  

Understanding how our brain mediates between food and physical activity could help devise more effective ways to promote healthy eating and regular exercise.

There’s still a lot under the microscope, but one thing is clear: every stride in this research gets us one step closer to deciphering the complex wiring of our brains and how it shapes our daily choices.

The study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

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