Exercise Slows Aging Process

Does exercise slow the aging process? A study in the January 28, 2008 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found a big difference in the cells of those who enjoyed leisure time exercise compared to those who lounged on the couch in their spare time. The most active people showed a slowing of cell changes associated with aging - their cells appeared the same as sedentary people who were 10 years younger. This adds to the growing body of evidence that regular physical exercise cuts risks for aging-related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Twins, Telomeres and the Aging Process

The study looked at the lifestyles and cells of 2,401 twins. By studying twins, the researchers knew they were looking at people who had similar genetic factors. They charted physical activity, smoking, and socioeconomic status over the past 12 months. Then they looked within twins' white blood cells at a structure called the telomere. The telomere is the DNA at the very end of a chromosome. As people age, the telomere gets ragged and leads to damage of the chromosomes. Previous research leads scientists to believe that the telomere gets shorter as people age, and it may be used as a marker for aging.

The more active a participant was, the longer the telomere was when compared to those of a similar age who were less active. This finding stood up when comparing twin to twin when one was more active than the other - the active twin had telomeres that equated to being 4 years younger than their sedentary twin.
Telomeres and Aging - Understanding Cellular Aging

This difference between those who were active vs. sedentary held up even when screening for differences in body mass index, weight, sex, smoking and physical activity at work.

Exercise: The Anti-Aging Drug

"The U.S. guidelines recommend that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week can have significant health benefits," the authors write. "Our results underscore the vital importance of these guidelines. They show that adults who partake in regular physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals. This conclusion provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potential anti-aging effect of regular exercise."

Need to Get Moving?

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^{Lynn F. Cherkas; Janice L. Hunkin; Bernet S. Kato; J. Brent Richards; Jeffrey P. Gardner; Gabriela L. Surdulescu; Masayuki Kimura; Xiaobin Lu; Tim D. Spector; Abraham Aviv. "The Association Between Physical Activity in Leisure Time and Leukocyte Telomere Length." Archives of Internal Medicine. 2008;168(2):154-158.}