Phys Ed: How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young, Read thefull article here
In a recent study German Scientists compared cell life spans of different groups of subjects. The first group consisted of professional runners in their 20s, The second group consisted of sedentary young individuals, the third of middle aged sedentary people and finally a group of middle-aged longtime runners ( average age of 51) running on average 50 miles per week.
Dr. Christian Werner, an internal-medicine resident at Saarland University Clinic in Homburg noted the striking difference in appearance. The active middle aged group looked remarkably younger than the inactive counterpart.
The findings at the cellular level were even more striking. While the white blood cells from each of their subjects in both the active and sedentary young adults had similar-size Telomeres, the Telomeres in the sedentary middle aged group were significantly shorter than the active counterpart.
Telomeres are small end caps on the DNA strands. With each cell division, part of the telomere cap is snipped to repair the rest of the DNA strand. With repeated cell replication telomeres get shorter and shorter until the cell dies or is unable to repair or replicate itself. Telomere length is widely accepted as a reliable marker of cell age.
Exercise has many benefits, increased Aerobic capacity, better Muscle tone, slimmer Physique, but the effect of regular exercise on cellular aging could be astounding. Thomas LaRocca is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado in Boulder, who has just completed a new study on the effects of exercise on aging cells. In Mr. LaRocca's study, people were tested both for their V02max (Maximum aerobic capacity) and their white blood cells' telomere length. In subjects 55 to 72, a higher V02max correlated closely with longer telomeres. The fitter a person was in middle age or onward, the younger their cells.
How does activity affect the DNA? we do not know the answer yet, however Dr. Werner found that his older runners had more activity in their telomerase, a cellular enzyme postulated to help protect and lengthen telomeres. Exercise may have an effect on activity of telomerase and not directly telomeres .
No one knows how much exercise is needed to lengthen cellular lifespan. Any amount of regular physical activity helps keep you healthy, strong and young.
If you have health problems please consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.
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