Exercising every day keeps aging woes away

According to study published in the online edition of Public Library of Science (PLoS) on Wednesday, exercise not only increases a persons’ stamina and muscle strength but also helps in reversing the aging process in the muscles.

The study conducted by Canadian scientists and led by Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, director of the neuromuscular and neurometabolic clinic at McMaster University in Hamilton and Simon Melov of the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, California, involved examining around 25 old pensioners over 65 years of age, averaging around 70 and around 26 young people between 20 to 35 years, averaging around 26 years, both groups healthy and non-diseased taking the same kind of diet.

The old participants (only) were trained on standard gym equipments twice a week for an hour each for six months which involved 30 contacts of each muscle group (although after four months most of the pensioners left the gym and carried out simple work outs at home). Tissue samples of thighs of both the groups were taken before and after the study.

After the regular exercise session, the study revealed that the old people were not only more stronger than before but their energy producing molecules, called mitochondria, also became as active as those of 20 or 30 yrs old making them more energized and younger than before. Their muscle strength improved considerably as they were only 38% weaker than the young group after exercising as compared to 59% which they were before the study.

"To be honest, we were expecting some indication that the exercise program improved strength. We were surprised to see that the genetic fingerprint [of the elderly participants] was reversed to that of younger people—not entirely, but enough to say that their genetic profile was more like that of young people than old people", biologist Simon Melov said.

He called the study surprising and also said that this study was a proof that exercise not only helps to improve health but also reverses the aging process.

The co-author of the study, Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, said that the study itself provided evidence that the aging process occurs due to non-active or damaged mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells, and leads to reduced energy and less strength in the body. With age, mitochondria becomes less effective and produces less energy.

He also said, “The main, novel finding is that we could bring that aging mitochondria pattern back towards a younger person, almost reversing the aging signature, pretty much by 40, 45 years with six months of weight training. This shows that it's never too late to start exercising and that you don't have to spend your life pumping iron in a gym to reap benefits."

The scientists intend to extend their investigation to evaluate the effects of running and cycling on the mitochondrial function which in turn affects the process of aging and further their research to resistance training affecting organs. Till now aging studies have been done in worms, fruit flies and mice but this was the first of its kind study done on humans.

In US around two thirds of people, more women than men, above 65 years are believed to take medication like painkillers, diuretics or water pills, sedatives, cardiac drugs, antibiotics etc. to control the symptoms and diseases of aging.

Aging is unavoidable but major physical impairment can be kept away by preventive healthy practices like healthy diet, daily exercise, avoiding smoking and drinking which can increase life span and improve the quality of life.

Exercising is known to improve appetite, digestion, circulation, burning calories, improving insulin content, making bones stronger and now according to the study even preventing aging. Happy exercising!