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Now, in research published in Science, an Université de Montréal biologist has figured out why, and his findings could have implications for, of all things, the future of space travel . By studying a variety called the 13-lined ground squirrel that is common in North America, Matthew Regan has confirmed a theory known as "urea nitrogen salvage" dating back to the 1980s.
The theory posits that hibernators harness a metabolic trick of their gut microbes to recycle the nitrogen present in urea, a waste compound that is usually excreted as urine, and use it to build new tissue proteins.
How could this discovery be of use in space? Theoretically, Regan posits, by helping astronauts minimize their own muscle-loss problems caused by microgravity-induced suppression of protein synthesis and which they now try to reduce by intensively exercising.
If a way could be found to augment the astronauts' muscle protein synthesis processes using urea nitrogen salvage, they could be able to achieve better muscle health during long voyages into deep space in spacecraft too small for the usual exercise equipment, the argument goes.
"Because we know which muscle proteins are suppressed during spaceflight, we can compare these proteins with those that are enhanced by urea nitrogen salvage during hibernation," said Regan, who carried out this research while a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Journal Reference:
Matthew D. Regan, Edna Chiang, Yunxi Liu , et al. Nitrogen recycling via gut symbionts increases in ground squirrels over the hibernation season, Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.abh2950)
(Score: 1) by sweettea on Sunday January 30 2022, @02:30AM (5 children)
Can this be used to build muscle, or merely prevent deterioration? Imagine all the gym-haters who could build muscle with this instead of actually putting in the time...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 30 2022, @03:51AM (4 children)
This is about preventing loss. The squirrels don't bulk up while they sleep.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Sunday January 30 2022, @06:57AM (3 children)
sweettea has a point though. It prevents muscle loss by rebuilding it. It might not take much tweaking to exceed the rate of loss.
No problem is insoluble, but at Ksp = 2.943×10−25 Mercury Sulphide comes close.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 30 2022, @04:46PM (2 children)
That risks starvation since the new material must come from somewhere and the squirrel/person isn't eating. Rebuilding using existing material doesn't have that problem.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Monday January 31 2022, @03:26AM
I wasn't suggesting bulking up hibernating squirrels, and neither was sweettea. If this can stop muscles wasting away in hibernating animals then it should only be a short step to building huge muscles while eating and working out. If it works it will very likely be abused much like steroids and testosterone are.
No problem is insoluble, but at Ksp = 2.943×10−25 Mercury Sulphide comes close.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday January 31 2022, @03:48AM
Such as urine which is otherwise a waste product?