Bears will not be frozen when hibernating. But how they maintain muscle mass is a question that medical scientists have always been very interested in.
For humans, after only 8 hours of sleep, we need to stretch our muscles and bones to keep our muscles working normally. If you hibernate for 5 months like a bear, humans can’t stand it.
Scientists have discovered that there are genetic reasons why bears can sleep for 5 months and keep their muscles working normally.
These genes make bears consume their own fat instead of muscle protein during hibernation to replenish energy. In contrast, without eating, humans first consume muscle protein to replenish energy, and then consume fat.
In addition, with the help of these genes, bears can completely recover the protein in the urine during hibernation, thereby reducing the consumption of muscle protein, and avoiding getting up to the toilet, further saving energy.
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