Exercise to Reduce Cellular Aging
by Alan Muir
Exercise has often been associated with health and longevity, in which the underlying benefits may extend to your cellular DNA. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco found that brief vigorous exercise can prevent telomere shortening that is caused by stress.
Telomeres are chromosome end caps that prevent chromosome deterioration and aid replication. When telomeres shorten, the chromosome has a difficult time replicating. Cellular dysfunction and aging occur when the chromosome can no longer replicate. Researchers believe that maintaining longer telomeres can slow down the aging process. Several health problems have been connected to short telomeres, including coronary heart disease and diabetes. Even psychological stress has been linked to shorter telomere length.
Implementing moderate exercise can buffer the effects of stress. Even 42 minutes of vigorous exercise, over a 3-day period, can protect individuals from telomere length shortening that is caused by stress.
Scientists recruited 62 post-menopausal women to report on their daily exercise level. Blood samples were drawn to measure their immune cells’ telomere length. Results indicated that psychological stress did shorten telomeres, but exercise buffered these findings. Women that had sedentary, high stress lifestyles had shorter telomeres, while participants with active, high stress lifestyles exhibited stable telomere lengths. These findings support that cellular aging can be inhibited with healthy lifestyle habits, including regular exercise and stress reduction.
Reference
Puterman E, Lin J, Blackburn E, O’Donovan A, et al. The Power of Exercise: Buffering the Effect of Chronic Stress on Telomere Length. PLoS ONE. 2010 May 26; 5(5): e10837.
