Sedentary Living Erodes Cellular Energy, Signals Early Disease Risk
Healthy but sedentary adults show early cellular energy declines: mitochondrial efficiency drops 28–36%, MPC1 protein is 49% lower, and CPT1 activity is halved, alongside 38% lower VO2 max and 60% higher lactate during exertion, indicating a pre-disease shift in fuel processing that regular exercise may help prevent by maintaining mitochondrial fuel-switching (metabolic flexibility).