Exercise hormone irisin helps the physically active stay slender

According to a new study by a University of Florida College of Medicine researcher, Dr. Li Jun Yang, the hormone irisin (first discovered in 2012 by a professor of cell biology and a team at Harvard Medical School) not only helps the body shed fat whilst exercising but may also prevent it from forming. 

Irisin levels rise during exercise, switching on genes that convert white fat into brown fat.  This conversion is beneficial as brown fat burns off more excess calories than exercise alone.  Irisin's role in regulating fat cells sheds light on the way physical activity helps people stay slender.  Previous studies have also found irisin improves heart function by boosting calcium levels, crucial for heart contractions.  Further research is currently focusing on how irisin may reduce arterial plaque build up, preventing inflammatory cells from accumulating.