 We have previously reported that TP53 encoding p53 protein, one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancers, dose dependently modulates the balance between the utilization of oxidative and glycolytic pathways for energy generation in human colon cancer cells and mouse liver mitochondria. Though morphologically similar to their wild-type littermates, mice deficient in p53 display a gene dose-dependent decrease in aerobic exercise capacity, implying that p53 has functions beyond its well characterized cell cycle activities. These current findings have broad implications in fields ranging from cancer and aging research to cardiovascular physiology. 