I think of my T'ai Chi and a story of a family with three brothers. The oldest brother is a surgeon, he can save lives in an emergency. The second brother is an Internist M.D who can vaccinate and prescribe medicine for maintaining your health. The youngest brother, who the other two say is the best and most important of all, is a T'ai Chi and Chi Gung master. He can teach you how to best have a life of balance and health so that you may need the elder brothers the least. (The youngest brother is a specialist in cellular energy supply.)
Good piece. I'll make a couple of comments, one experiential, the other more theoretic. First, as long-term endurance cyclist, I've used the mental framing of "homeostatic resistance" (HRE) as a way of thinking about the physical sensations of effort not "suffering" or "pain." It's simply the body telling me this is what is feels like to apply effort, when it prefers to conserve energy. With time, every athlete learns what levels of "resistance" feel like, but they're just that, feelings. The other point, is the resistance to energy flow in life, is the result of formation of persistent structure. Life requires structure or it dissipates, and it requires energy flow. I've come to think of the definition of life, over generations, as "a persistence pattern that captures and shapes flow of energy over time". That seems to me to be a better definition of life that most textbooks. This looks like a fruitful line of research. Good luck!
As a long-time cyclist still hitting hills often and hard at age 76, your comment strongly resonates with me! Researched myself out of fibromyalgia (debilitating weakness and pain) 25 years ago when I discovered 'normal' serum concentrations of free thyroid hormone were not adequate to overcome specific cell membrane resistance to T3 passage in peripheral cells, thus energy/ATP production greatly restricted. Happily found a research-based naturopathic physician to guide me back to high fitness level and zero pain via appropriate T3 dosage.
Over the past two decades, living through my family’s experience, I have cultivated a deep knowing of how energy flows through our bodies. Thank you for articulating the science in such a clear, thoughtful, and easy to understand manner. I will be sharing this piece with my loved ones.
When I’m asked about how our family manages to enjoy the quality of life that we do, I always mention that “I follow the work of Martin Picard.” I explain that your work often gives us a strategic path forward and that I believe that you are the future of mitochondrial medicine. This…right here…reaffirms that belief!
Great post Martin! Really helps me with the big puzzle. I wonder, as I see in my clinical practice (psychiatrist), if emotions (or emotional states) are the core point or the way our body informs us about our energetic dynamics. I believe this is true, as I see in my everyday experience. Emotions are central, are the most important thing to take care, as they reflect the internal energy state. In the other hand, in humans, emotions are quite determined by the relational environment... so, in some way we are connected to other´s energetic processes
Eastern traditions often identify semen retention as key to energy/longevity. GDF15 in semen has had a bit of research in both men and women. Wondering if research on acute circulating levels or chronic studies have been done?
Growth/differentiation factor-15 is an abundant cytokine in human seminal plasma
It means that life thrives on well-orchestrated challenges (éR) to force energy transformation to meet specific demands, not too much, not too little, ideally voluntary demands. I can’t wait to see this logic in action for mental processes, i.e. problem solving.
The "small amount of energy leaks out of the system as heat" is super important. If we don't have the budget for both what we want to do and for that heat, nothing happens.
I think of my T'ai Chi and a story of a family with three brothers. The oldest brother is a surgeon, he can save lives in an emergency. The second brother is an Internist M.D who can vaccinate and prescribe medicine for maintaining your health. The youngest brother, who the other two say is the best and most important of all, is a T'ai Chi and Chi Gung master. He can teach you how to best have a life of balance and health so that you may need the elder brothers the least. (The youngest brother is a specialist in cellular energy supply.)
The best medicine is the one we practice everyday.
exactly!
Good piece. I'll make a couple of comments, one experiential, the other more theoretic. First, as long-term endurance cyclist, I've used the mental framing of "homeostatic resistance" (HRE) as a way of thinking about the physical sensations of effort not "suffering" or "pain." It's simply the body telling me this is what is feels like to apply effort, when it prefers to conserve energy. With time, every athlete learns what levels of "resistance" feel like, but they're just that, feelings. The other point, is the resistance to energy flow in life, is the result of formation of persistent structure. Life requires structure or it dissipates, and it requires energy flow. I've come to think of the definition of life, over generations, as "a persistence pattern that captures and shapes flow of energy over time". That seems to me to be a better definition of life that most textbooks. This looks like a fruitful line of research. Good luck!
Agreed!
As a long-time cyclist still hitting hills often and hard at age 76, your comment strongly resonates with me! Researched myself out of fibromyalgia (debilitating weakness and pain) 25 years ago when I discovered 'normal' serum concentrations of free thyroid hormone were not adequate to overcome specific cell membrane resistance to T3 passage in peripheral cells, thus energy/ATP production greatly restricted. Happily found a research-based naturopathic physician to guide me back to high fitness level and zero pain via appropriate T3 dosage.
Well said. I share with you endurance riding and triathalon participation.
It’s genuinely encouraging to see cellular energy supply gaining more attention.
For a long time, we’ve focused on markers and outcomes — but not enough on whether energy actually reaches the cell where it’s needed.
This shift feels important.
Couldn’t agree more.
Over the past two decades, living through my family’s experience, I have cultivated a deep knowing of how energy flows through our bodies. Thank you for articulating the science in such a clear, thoughtful, and easy to understand manner. I will be sharing this piece with my loved ones.
When I’m asked about how our family manages to enjoy the quality of life that we do, I always mention that “I follow the work of Martin Picard.” I explain that your work often gives us a strategic path forward and that I believe that you are the future of mitochondrial medicine. This…right here…reaffirms that belief!
Thank you, Meredith. So glad you have you part of this community. We live in a special time where things are rapidly changing.
Than you for not only spotlighting this science, but continually asking the right questions.
Knowing what questions to ask is the biggest challenge we face.
great work thanks, very interested to hear about the mental energy
Wow, just wow! This work is so. Very. Exciting! Thanks for continuing to post about this developing paradigm shift.
Very glad it resonates!
Cheers, Michael.
Great post Martin! Really helps me with the big puzzle. I wonder, as I see in my clinical practice (psychiatrist), if emotions (or emotional states) are the core point or the way our body informs us about our energetic dynamics. I believe this is true, as I see in my everyday experience. Emotions are central, are the most important thing to take care, as they reflect the internal energy state. In the other hand, in humans, emotions are quite determined by the relational environment... so, in some way we are connected to other´s energetic processes
Good thinking. Agreed on all points.
Eastern traditions often identify semen retention as key to energy/longevity. GDF15 in semen has had a bit of research in both men and women. Wondering if research on acute circulating levels or chronic studies have been done?
Growth/differentiation factor-15 is an abundant cytokine in human seminal plasma
September 2010Human Reproduction 25(12):2962-71
It means that life thrives on well-orchestrated challenges (éR) to force energy transformation to meet specific demands, not too much, not too little, ideally voluntary demands. I can’t wait to see this logic in action for mental processes, i.e. problem solving.
Yes, we suspect that the same principle applies to mental processes and psychological states. Lots to explore there.
The "small amount of energy leaks out of the system as heat" is super important. If we don't have the budget for both what we want to do and for that heat, nothing happens.
Agreed.