I’m guessing if you have heard of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), it’s likely in the context of longevity as it is referenced frequently in that circle. While it does have a place in longevity, it’s also a super important molecule for metabolic health including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

You see, AMPK is a central regulator of energy balance in the body, sometimes referred to as a cellular "fuel gauge”. 

AMPK senses and responds to changes in cellular energy status. When cellular energy is low, AMPK is activated to restore balance by enhancing energy-generating processes and inhibiting energy-consuming ones. 

Basically, when there is a decrease in energy availability, AMPK is activated. This can happen during exercise, calorie restriction or fasting and hypoxia (low oxygen).

A very interesting relationship exists between AMPK and insulin. You have probably heard of insulin quite a bit because it’s all I talk about in reference to Metabolic Efficiency Training (optimizing blood sugar with the proper ratios of food to balance insulin levels). 

Okay, back to AMPK and insulin.

While insulin and AMPK both regulate metabolism, they act in opposite ways.

Insulin promotes energy storage, stimulates lipogenesis, glycogenesis and protein synthesis and inhibits autophagy.

In contract, AMPK promotes energy production, stimulates fat oxidation, glucose uptake and mitochondrial biogenesis and activates autophagy. More on this in a bit.

Don’t let this lead you to believe that insulin is “bad”. AMPK and insulin can actually complement each other. For example, AMPK can improve insulin sensitivity by reducing fat accumulation and inflammation in tissues like the liver, muscle and adipose tissue.

AMPK plays many roles in metabolic health including the following:

• Enhances glucose uptake - AMPK increases the translocation of glucose transporters to the cell membrane, particularly in muscle, improving glucose clearance from the blood (important for managing type 2 diabetes).
• Supports fat oxidation - AMPK inhibits acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), an enzyme that suppresses fat breakdown. By inhibiting ACC, AMPK promotes fatty acid oxidation, reducing fat storage and improving lipid profiles.
• Stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis - AMPK activates PGC-1α, a master regulator of mitochondrial formation. 
• Reduces inflammation and oxidative stress - AMPK inhibits pro-inflammatory signaling pathways such as NF-κB, reducing chronic inflammation associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.
• Supports autophagy - AMPK promotes autophagy, the process by which cells remove damaged components. This cellular “clean-up” improves insulin sensitivity and protects against metabolic dysfunction.
• Regulates appetite and body weight - In the hypothalamus, AMPK responds to hormonal signals like ghrelin and leptin, influencing hunger and energy expenditure.

By now, you are likely wondering how you can activate AMPK, right?

 #1 - Exercise 

 #2 - Intermittent fasting/caloric restriction 

 #3 - Low carbohydrate/higher fat diets

 #4 - Nutraceuticals such as resveratrol, quercitin, curcumin, berberine, green tea catechins and alpha-lipoid acid

So there you have it. A primer on AMPK and why it is so important no matter where you are in your aging journey. You now know enough to begin to activate AMPK more in your body!

PS - This is one of the major points of emphasis in my Virtual FatBurn Blueprint Program. While I am not taking anymore clients for that program in September, I do have 2 openings in October so act fast if you want me to create custom meal and exercise plans based on your individual hormone testing!