Mitochondria For Maximized Brain Power

The cell power plants of your body, the so-called “mitochondria”, are currently extremely hyped under biohackers – and rightly so.

The efficiency of mitochondria can be increased naturally and this increases your athletic and mental performance across the board.

First of all, what are mitochondria actually, what function do they have and how can you maximize your performance through them?

What Is A Mitochondrion?

To understand our cell power plants, we need to make a brief digression into biology.

Mitochondria are the smallest parts of your cells.

They are also known as power plants of the body because their main task is to produce energy.

A mitochondrion can multiply and is located in every nerve cell whose ends (axons) are embedded by myelin.

It is shaped like a bean and is covered by an inner membrane layer and an outer membrane layer.

While the outer membrane is smooth, the inner membrane is corrugated – and in these interstices is a liquid matrix.

This matrix, in turn, contains important respiratory chain proteins responsible for the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), i.e. cell energy.

In addition, there are ribosomes and a genome in the matrix of a mitochondrion, in which genetic information and part of a human’s DNA are stored.

From this alone, it can be seen how important the health of each cell of the human body is because even their own DNA is contained in them.

Take-home message #1: The mitochondria are the cell power plants of your body. They produce all the energy for the body and brain. Without well-functioning mitochondria, you can not be optimally efficient.

Abilities Of Mitochondria

You would like to work more effectively, but anything stops you?

You would like to do more sports, but you just can not do it regularly?

Then the most common reason is a simple lack of energy.

Of course, we all want “more energy”, but what does this mean at the biochemical level?

Usually one recognizes an inefficient work of the mitochondria on chronic fatigue and discomfort.

You need energy every second of your life.

You need it to bend your little finger and take the simplest thought.

It is clear that with all the tasks and sporting challenges every day sometimes a lack of energy can come.

The required energy is created throughout your body, in billions of cells, and more specifically in the mitochondria.

The better the mitochondria work, the more energy they can produce and you are optimally efficient and healthy.

In order to understand how to improve the power of your own mitochondria, you first have to understand how it works.

Here, especially the proteins and enzymes in the respiratory chain of the mitochondrion are crucial, because over these electrodes can be transported.

Finally, as a by-product of this process, protons are formed which stimulate ATP synthesis.

ATP Production

The mitochondria thus convert food and body fat into ATP, the universal energy currency that can be used by the whole body for energetic processes.

The food, or the already stored body fat, provide the starting material for this process.

This can be either glucose (sugar) or fat (ketone).

The body can convert both energy sources equally well into ATP.

ATP is a “nucleoside” of three phosphates with strong bonds to each other.

By breaking up these bonds, the body can release energy that can be used for movement and thought processes.

When you start moving, you differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic energy production.

The anaerobic system is the energy system our body uses when it suddenly needs a lot of energy.

It only lasts about the first 15 seconds under load.

Then all the energy that was in the mitochondria and muscles is used up and the body switches to aerobic energy.

It also splits glucose into usable ATP.

Now, however, the body needs oxygen for it.

For example, this can be explained as “out of breath” when you have quickly climbed a staircase.

In 3 steps, the glucose is broken down piece by piece and converted with increasing oxygen.

The aerobic system is therefore sometimes referred to as “cellular respiration”.

Take-Home-Message #2: ATP extraction is a highly complex system that focuses on mitochondria. If these do not work properly, the entire energy production and thus your performance is disturbed.

How To Naturally Enhance Mitochondria

Ideally, you will resort to completely natural remedies to optimize the performance of your mitochondria and build new ones.

Much better and easier is adjusting the lifestyle so that more mitochondria are produced, ensuring your maximum efficiency.

So if you want to multiply your mitochondria, you can take two important points:

You have to leave the comfort zone.

Due to evolution, our body is biologically created for extreme situations.

For these you need a lot of energy.

The more you put your body under short-term stress, the more efficient your mitochondria become.

You can produce new mitochondria.

You can use some hacks to get your body to shut down old inefficient power plants and create new mitochondria.

Check out the following hacks in order to improve your existing mitochondria and multiply mitochondria.

It’s best to pick one or two tips and put these hacks into the morning.

1. HIIT exercise
   One of the best ways to increase energy and increase your mitochondrial count is the High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which is characterized by short and very intense training impulses. A study by McMaster University in Canada has now confirmed the positive impact of HIIT training on the number of mitochondria. So, like everything else in your body, the mitochondria, when unclaimed, regress. In other words: Do you move a little, the number of mitochondria decreases. If you do a lot of sports, their number increases. Therefore, people who train regularly, among other things, have more energy available. HIIT training is the body’s highest requirement for energy and mitochondria, which in turn increases the body’s ability to build mitochondria. Incidentally, Cross-Fit is a super HIIT sport.
2. Strength Training A study from the University of South Carolina shows that strength training can increase the mitochondrial biogenesis in the brain region. So put on the gym and big weights with little repetitions.
3. Good Sleep
   It is also very important to maintain and protect the overall health of your cells. How does it work? In essence, you should be careful to handle your body well. This means you have enough sleep (because your cells regenerate at night), drink plenty of water (70% of your cells are water), avoid free radicals and eat lots of antioxidants. Free radicals can attack and destroy your cells and oxidative stress is the result. You should pay special attention to the subject of sleep. During sleep, your mitochondria also regenerate. Studies show that if we slept for less than 6 hours, we can bring significantly less energy and performance. Whether as an athlete or as an office athlete. Without good sleep, your cell power plants can not burn properly.
4. Ketogenic Diet
   The ketogenic diet is a very special trigger when it comes to a positive impact on mitochondrial function. The so-called keto diet with the goal of ketosis is a diet based purely on healthy fats, in which carbohydrates are almost completely avoided. In addition to the fact that fat is a more stable energy source than glucose, it is also better for your cell health. When burned by glucose, the mitochondria are in full swing and many free radicals are produced, which in turn damage the mitochondria. If you make a keto diet, fewer free radicals will be created, protecting your mitochondria. A study by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has now shown that the keto diet is also suitable as a therapeutic approach. According to the researchers, the keto diet better protects the cells and mitochondria and does not age so quickly. From our experience, however, the ketogenic diet is useful especially in cycles, i. e. for a few weeks or months.
5. Cold Thermogenesis and Cold Training
   What’s the best way to get out of the comfort zone? By exposing your body to temperatures. That is why many athletes and anti-aging experts swear by the theme of cold thermogenesis, better known as ice baths. Through the cold training, you put your body new stimuli and train it down to the cell level. Studies show hormonal and health benefits of cold training for the mitochondria. For example, the transcriptional co-activator PGC-1 induced. This is a regulator protein of energy metabolism that stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration in the muscle cells in several ways. Result: Your mitochondria can multiply, old ones die off and fat oxidation in fat tissue improves. This adipose tissue is particularly pronounced in babies and is increasingly falling back in adulthood. In contrast to white adipose tissue, this fatty tissue has a large number of mitos, which directly oxidize the fat and thus generate heat.
6. Calorie Restriction and Interval Fasting
   Currently, calorie restriction is recognized by researchers as one of the lesser options for longer life. The history of the village of Okinawa, home to the centenarians in Japan, you know for sure. In the village, the proportion of people over 100 years is significantly higher. This is associated with approximately 20% lower calorie levels than in the rest of Japan. By restricting the diet, old mitochondria die off and new ones are formed. We recommend 3 days a month to fast completely for the best results. You do not feel like fasting for 3 days? Then a short-term calorie restriction through interval fasting or intermittent fasting is just right for you.

Take Home Message #3: Whether through the right training, diet or lifestyle: the power of your mitochondria are in your control and your options are numerous!

Food For More Mitochondria

You can also strengthen the mitochondria through your diet.

You have two options.

First, make sure you have a balanced statement that you eat all the important micronutrients for your mitochondria to work with.

A balanced and varied diet with plenty of base-forming vegetables, as well as enough manganese, B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, vitamin D and zinc is your foundation to strengthen the mitochondria.

As always, especially regional and organic fruits and vegetables are recommended.

Also, you should reduce your meat consumption and eat little processed foods.

We are often asked if there is “mitochondrial food”? There are no deciduous foods for the mitochondria.

However, you can strengthen your mitochondria with dietary supplements and supplements.

Supplements To Improve Genesis Of Mitochondria

As biohacker we always follow the principle “little effort, big impact.”

Therefore supplements and dietary supplements are a way to strengthen your mitochondria and provide all the necessary micronutrients.

Here is a list from the current research:

1. Resveratrol: A glass of wine a day is healthy? This statement is based primarily on the ingredients resveratrol. Studies have shown resveratrol-like life-prolonging effects and mitochondrial responses, as in a calorie-restricted diet. You can consume Resveratrol also by eating Japanese Knotweed. We recommend 500mg three times a week.
2. Alpha lipoic acid: Studies show that alpha lipoic acid promotes mitochondrial function. It is important to make sure that you reach for the R version. We recommend 100mg per day.
3. PQQ: PQQ is the better version of Q10. It was discovered as the first vitamin for 60 years. Studies show increased growth and energy production of mitochondria. Since PQQ is very expensive, we do not give a recommendation and recommend Q10 instead.
4. Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol): There are two versions of the Q10 – Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol. The latter has a better bioavailability, but is also much heavier to produce. The cofactor Q10 is directly involved in the energy metabolism in the mitochondria and is produced by the body itself. However, Q10 production decreases with age. We recommend about 60mg Ubiquinol or 200mg Ubiquinone.
5. Ribose: Ribose is a sugar that energizes the body on a fundamental level and is involved in energy production. It is the energy depot of the cells, has little influence on the insulin value and is needed for ATP production. We recommend 2-5g a day.

Take-Home-Message #4: Although there are no mitochondria foods you can optimize your cell power plants through supplements and a balanced diet.

Proper nutrition is everything for your mitochondria.

Closing Thought: Mitochondria For Maximized Brain Power

As you can see, you can use simple and natural means to get your cell power plants up and running.

Start today and use one of the hacks to lay the foundation for your new energy level and health.

Pick one or two hacks and put them in the morning.

Your body will be grateful!

Are there any other methods that you pursue in order to Maximize Your Brain Power?

Let me know about your experiences in the comments below!

Either way, have a great day folks with maximised Brain Power!

Cheers,

Janik