Local cyclist uses folic acid to counter effects of mitochondrial disease

Mike Milam always has been athletic. When he turned 64, he realized something was wrong, but he attributed it to age.

"When I turned 64, I always said I was going to ride my age, and I made the 64.7 miles," said Milam, an agronomy specialist with the University of Missouri Extension in Kennett. "But it was the next year when I tried to ride 65 miles that I couldn't do it because I couldn't handle the heat."

Milam has mitochondrial disease or dysfunction, an exercise- and heat-intolerant illness that affects about 1 in 3 people.

According to the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine, as many as 2 million Americans have the illness.

According to the foundation website, mitochondrial disease can take on the look of several more common conditions, such as autism, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, muscular dystrophy or chronic fatigue.

Almost all cells in the body have mitochondria, which produce essential energy.

When energy production is affected, the body cannot function properly. The disease primarily affects the brain, heart and muscles.

Milam believed he had been heat-intolerant for a while, but even doctors did not realize what was causing it. After being diagnosed with the disease about two years ago, he started reading about the condition and discovered folic acid and exercise can help counteract its effects.

"I'm my own guinea pig," he said. "I am always reading up on ways to combat the disease."

Through his research, Milam came across an April 1 article on Newsmax.com that quoted a study conducted by Penn State researchers. According to the article, seniors are more affected by heat because their bodies cannot increase the skin blood flow to the same extent younger people can, making them more susceptible to a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or heat stroke.

Aged blood vessels cannot produce enough nitric oxide to compensate for the heat; however, researchers found taking folic acid supplements triggered a change in the body that led to an increase in nitric oxide production, helping them cope with the heat.

Milam has found folic acid has helped him cope with the heat, which comes in handy when walking and bicycling. Over the past year, Milam has walked more than 2.1 million steps, which equates to over 930 miles, and bicycled nearly half of his 500-mile goal.

"When the construction on (U.S.) 412 started and they took out the shoulder, it cut down my riding considerably," he said. "I used to ride along 412 to Paragould (Arkansas) and then ride back."

Milam isn't the only "guinea pig" in his family.

"The doctors don't really know the ins and outs of the disease," he said. "I have a twin brother, not identical. He was also complaining that he couldn't handle the heat, either, and I told him to take folic acid to see if it would help."

A wellness program with the University of Missouri prompted Milam to start walking and cycling. The program provided incentives through the accumulation of points for keeping fit through diet and exercise, as well as regular preventive-maintenance checkups.

Before he started taking the folic acid, he would go home after work and would not venture back out.

"I didn't have the energy to do anything," he said. "Now, I go full steam ahead until my body tells me I can't go any more."