Abstract
Mitochondria are small structures that exist in almost all cells of the body. One of the main roles of mitochondria is to produce energy, which is essential for maintaining health and physical functioning. When mitochondria become disrupted, it can contribute to numerous health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and muscle atrophy during disuse. When mitochondria are fuelled and function optimally, it can allow individuals to perform physical tasks at a very high level. In all of these conditions, nutrition has an important influence of mitochondria. Therefore, this dissertation investigated the impact of nutrition on mitochondrial bioenergetics in situations of disease, health, and exercise. The studies in this dissertationidentified that consuming a high–fat diet causes many of the impairments in mitochondrial bioenergetics that occur during obesity. Consuming the nutritional compound dietary nitrateprevented these impairments and improved overall health. Dietary nitrate was also beneficial for preventing mitochondrial dysregulation during muscle disuse. However, dietary nitrate did not influence mitochondrial bioenergetics in healthy conditions. In situations of health and exercise, nutrients called ketones have been suggested to be “super fuels” for mitochondria. However, we show that ketones are not an important fuel for skeletal muscle mitochondria, while carbohydrates are essential for mitochondrial energy production. In summary, from thisdissertation, we conclude that mitochondria play an essential role in conditions of disease, health, and exercise. There are multiple nutritional compounds that can influence mitochondrial bioenergetics, which has the potential to impact human health and performance in many different scenarios.
Defence date: 31/03/2025
Maastricht University
