'Exercise' Gene Found in Mice

Groundbreaking research finds that laziness could be linked to ... whatever, we'll finish this sentence later.

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered (in mice, at least) that the tendency to exercise could be linked to genetics. Mice bred without two genes were found to be lazier and unable to run as far as those with the two genes. The genes are believed to regulate the release of an enzyme, AMP-activated protein kinase, during exercise. Those mice without the enzyme were found to have fewer mitochondria (the cell's power plant, if you remember high-school biology), meaning they ran out of energy quicker and were less able to process sugars. Of course, this has only been proven in mice, but the next time we feel like staying in to watch Epic Meal Time instead of hitting the gym, we'll most certainly pin it to our genetic makeup, because it's so, so much easier than taking an honest inventory of our lives.

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