LAUSR

Metabolism The effect of sex on physiological processes such as metabolism has not been sufficiently studied, despite signs that cellular-level processes can be sexually dimorphic. During fasting, skeletal muscles switch from using carbohydrates to fatty acids as a fuel source. Yang et al. found that fasting induced skeletal muscle in female mice to produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein known for its role in synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival. Skeletal muscle deficiency of BDNF in female mice, but not in male mice, prevented this metabolic switch and resulted in myofiber necrosis and reduced muscle strength. Sci. Signal. 12 , eaau1468 (2019).