In addition to the many well-known benefits of exercise for
reducing the risk of chronic disease, evidence has emerged in the past few
years suggesting that exercise may slow the aging process at the DNA
level.
One fascinating area of research on biological aging centers
on regions of DNA called telomeres, non-coding sequences located on the ends
chromosomes. Telomeres are shortened with each cell division until eventually
the telomeres becomes too short, preventing the cell from dividing any further
(called “senescence”). As more and more
cells in a tissue become senescent, its function can become impaired – the
tissue ages. Therefore telomere length is used as an indicator of cellular
aging, and many studies have investigated potential factors that may contribute
to changes in telomere length.
In human studies, shorter telomere length has been
associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, type
2 diabetes, oxidative stress, and obesity.1
A low level of physical activity contributes to these conditions, and
therefore maintenance of telomere length may be one link between exercise, disease
prevention and longevity. Regular
exercise is associated with a longer lifespan, and a number of studies have now
documented links between physical activity and longer telomere length in white
blood cells or skeletal muscle cells.1-4
Many of these studies have found that
those who exercise regularly have “younger” DNA than those who are sedentary.
In fact, one study in particular showed that older individuals (ages 55-72) who
regularly engaged in endurance training not only had longer telomeres than
sedentary people their own age, but also similar telomere length to younger
(ages 18-32) endurance trained individuals. This is promising data that
suggests that exercise helps to maintain a longer telomere length over time,
contributing to slower cellular aging.5
The pathways by which exercise may affect telomere length
are still under study, and may be due to alleviating oxidative stress and/or
inflammation. Oxidative stress and inflammation are factors that affect
telomere length and also contribute to diabetes, heart disease, and
cancer.1 Between exercise and a diet
based on phytochemical-rich plant foods, we can achieve substantial protection
against cellular aging and chronic disease.
However, people should be aware that extreme exercise, such
as is engaged by triathletes or marathon competitors is not lifespan promoting
and can add needless stress to our body.
Written by dr. Joel Fuhrman
www.drfuhrman.com
www.diseaseproof.com
References: 1.
Ludlow AT, Roth SM: Physical activity and telomere biology: exploring the link
with aging-related disease prevention. J Aging Res 2011;2011:790378. 2. Brown
WJ, McLaughlin D, Leung J, et al: Physical activity and all-cause mortality in
older women and men. Br J Sports Med 2012. 3. Samitz G, Egger M, Zwahlen M: Domains of
physical activity and all-cause mortality: systematic review and dose-response
meta-analysis of cohort studies. Int J Epidemiol 2011;40:1382-1400. 4. Reimers CD, Knapp G,
