The Physiology of Heat Shock Proteins | #85 ft. Dr. Maria Fuentes

In this episode of the Critical Oxygen Podcast, Dr. Maria Fuentes, M.D. and I discuss the critical role of heat shock proteins in exercise and disease. More about Dr. Maria Fuentes: Dr Fuentes is a U.S. ECFMG Certified M.D. and graduated with a Master's in Public Health from The University of Texas at El Paso in 2018. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Maria has focused her research studies and gained experience on different areas of medicine and public health that affect the health of the community of both El Paso and Juarez, Mexico including infectious diseases and environmental health. Maria is now pursuing her PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, at UTEP, studying the the effects of climate change, such as heat waves, on the expression of Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) 27 and 70 and their association with kidney injuries. She is currently a full-time faculty member at the Department of Biology at the El Paso Community College teaching Biology, Anatomy and Physiology courses as well as a guest lecturer at the Department of Public Health at UTEP teaching courses on statistics and public health evaluation. With a background in medicine and public health, Dr. Fuentes explains how these proteins function as cellular protectors during stress, their implications in kidney health, and the need for further research in understanding their roles in various pathophysiologies. The conversation explores links to exercise physiology and public health, emphasizing the importance of understanding the body's responses to stress and the potential for future research in this area. In this conversation, Dr. Maria Fuentes discusses the fascinating role of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in exercise physiology, muscle recovery, and their potential as biomarkers for kidney health. TAKEAWAYS - Heat shock proteins are essential for protein folding and function. - Cellular stress can activate heat shock proteins, not just exercise! - Heat shock proteins play a protective role in cellular integrity. - The immune response can be activated by heat shock proteins in circulation. - Increased expression of heat shock proteins help the body adapt to future stresses. Enjoy! Enjoying these podcasts, subscribe to get notified when new episodes are released. If you have a question or topic you want me to address, leave a comment! Follow Phil on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/criticalo2 Interested in learning more about physiology? Check out the Critical Oxygen website for blogs, courses and coaching -https://www.criticaloxygen.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Heat Shock Proteins 04:58 Dr. Fuentes' Journey in Medicine and Research 09:52 Understanding Heat Shock Proteins 19:46 The Role of Heat Shock Proteins in Cellular Stress 30:07 Heat Shock Proteins and Immune Response 35:12 Pathophysiology and Future Research Directions 37:54 Exploring the Fascination of Heat Shock Proteins 39:15 The Role of Heat Shock Proteins in Exercise 42:07 Understanding Heat Shock Proteins and Muscle Recovery 45:00 Heat Shock Proteins and Mitochondrial Function 52:54 Heat Shock Proteins as Biomarkers for Kidney Health 58:49 Thermal Regulation and Adaptation to Heat 01:10:04 Key Takeaways on Heat Shock Proteins and Exercise KEYWORDS heat shock proteins, exercise physiology, cellular stress, immune response, kidney health, metabolic syndrome, public health, research, endurance athletes, protein folding, heat shock proteins, exercise physiology, muscle recovery, mitochondrial function, biomarkers, kidney health, thermal regulation, stress response, endurance training, health and wellness