Obesity and type 2 diabetes have become two of the most common metabolic diseases worldwide, affecting almost 900 million and 800 million people, respectively.

One of the less-talked-about impacts of diabetes is its effect on the health of skeletal muscle, which accounts for more than 50% of the body’s weight.

And when diabetes and obesity coexist, as they often do — experts call that “diabesity” — the damage to skeletal muscle can be profound…

In fact, diabesity is one reason that exercise is more challenging for people with diabetes.

Diabesity induces stress and dysfunction in skeletal muscle at the cellular level, including the mitochondria. This damages muscle mass and structure and impairs metabolism and function.

Investigators are exploring ways to counteract this impact. And they may have found one in a hormone more people may be familiar with as a popular sleep supplement…

Melatonin protects against muscle damage

An international team of researchers led by the University of Granada (UGR) administered melatonin to obese and diabetic rodents for 12 weeks to gauge its impact on muscle health. And what they discovered was fascinating…

There are three types of muscle fibers:

• Slow twitch, also known as red fibers due to the large number of mitochondria they possess;
• Fast twitch, or white fibers;
• and intermediate.

Every muscle has a specific proportion of these fiber types, which vary and change depending on the type of movement being performed. For example, during short periods of intense muscular activity, white fibers with glycolytic (or anaerobic) metabolism are dominant, while during prolonged periods of low-intensity muscular activity, red fibers with oxidative (or aerobic) metabolism predominate. Red (slow) fibers are thought to be more energy-efficient than white (fast) fibers.

In diabesity, the necessary proportion of fiber types goes out the window…

But according to the researchers, melatonin was able to restore the healthy proportion of these fibers, increasing oxidative fibers and reducing glycolytic fibers — ultimately reversing the effects of “diabesity.”

In other words, it improved the muscle’s ability to burn fat (reducing fat accumulation) and produce energy.

What’s even more interesting is that melatonin showed effects similar to those of prolonged aerobic activity, especially improving mitochondrial function and regulating calcium levels in cell compartments. This reduces cellular stress and prevents programmed cell death.

“We discovered that melatonin restores calcium levels in the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, which helps to reduce cell damage,” says study lead Dr. Ahmad Agil, a professor of pharmacology at UGR.

Melatonin as ‘diabesity’ therapy in humans

These findings open up a new frontier for the use of melatonin, not only to improve muscle energy but as an innovative therapy to combat “diabesity.”

“Our results reinforce the idea that melatonin could have therapeutic applications in metabolic diseases, improving the muscle health of patients,” Dr. Agil says.

However, the researchers stress that clinical studies in humans are needed to confirm these results and determine optimal dosing.

“If we can demonstrate its effectiveness in humans, we could have an innovative treatment that would improve the lives of millions of people,” Dr. Agil says. Until then, he adds, maintaining a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle during the day and proper rest at night is key to preserving muscle health and preventing the adverse effects of diabesity.

If you want to try adding a melatonin supplement to your health regimen, the common recommendation is 1 to 2 milligrams about 30 minutes before bedtime. You can work your way up to 5 milligrams, but it’s important that you don’t take more than 10 milligrams at a time, or you could risk side effects that include drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, irritability and waking up in the night.

If you have kidney or liver problems, it may take you longer to clear melatonin, so your upper limit may be even lower than 10 milligrams. Talk to your doctor before starting a melatonin supplement so you can get advice on the right amount for you.

Sources:

Melatonin protects against muscle damage and restores the proportion of fibers altered by obesity and diabetes — EurekAlert!

Melatonin Ameliorates Organellar Calcium Homeostasis, Improving Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Apoptosis in the Vastus Lateralis Muscle of Both Sexes of Obese Diabetic Rats — Antioxidants

Melatonin Dosage: How Much Should You Take — Sleep Foundation

Melatonin and your sleep: Is it safe, what are the side effects and how does it work? — UC Davis Health