Physically active people have cells that look younger on a molecular level than those of couch potatoes, according to new research that offers a fundamental new clue into how exercise may help stave off aging.
The study, involving more than 2,400 British twins, found for the first time that exercise appears to slow the shriveling of the protective tips on bundles of genes inside cells, perhaps keeping frailty at bay.
"These data suggest that the act of exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process," said Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College in London who led the study, published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Previous research has shown that being physically active reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases, potentially extending longevity. In hopes of helping explain how, Spector and his colleagues examined structures known as telomeres inside cells.
Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes, the structures that carry genes. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When telomeres get too short, cells can no longer divide. Scientists believe aging occurs as more and more cells reach the end of their telomeres and die - muscles weaken, skin wrinkles, eyesight and hearing fade, organs fail and thinking clouds.
The length of the twins' telomeres was directly related to their activity, researchers found. Those doing moderate amounts of exercise - about 100 minutes a week of activity such as tennis, swimming or running - had telomeres that on average looked like those of someone five or six years younger than those who did at least 16 minutes a week.
Those doing about three hours a week of moderate to vigorous activity had telomeres that appeared to be about nine years younger than those who did the least.
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