exercise can help reverse the aging process at the cellular level

[Guest guest]

Here is yet more support for exercise as we get older:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18808971/site/newsweek/

A study appearing this week in the online journal PLoS One looks at

the effects of six months of strength training in 25 elderly

volunteers aged 65 and older (average age: 70). The researchers took

small biopsies of thigh-muscle cells from the seniors before and after

the six-month period, then compared them with muscle cells from 26

young volunteers (average age: 22). " To be honest, we were expecting

some indication that the exercise program improved strength, " says

biologist Simon Melov, director of genomics at the Buck Institute in

Novato, Calif., and coauthor of the study. What the scientists didn't

expect was what they actually found—that after six months of

resistance training, there were dramatic changes at the genetic level.

As Melov puts it, " 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. "

[Guest guest]

I think there is no doubt that some degree of some forms of exercise are

beneficial and should be pursued. The million-dollar (perhaps more to the

point, " multi-year " ) question is how much of which

sorts.

Maco

At 11:27 AM 5/23/2007, you wrote:

Here is yet more support for

exercise as we get older:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18808971/site/newsweek/

A study appearing this week in the online journal PLoS One looks at

the effects of six months of strength training in 25 elderly

volunteers aged 65 and older (average age: 70). The researchers took

small biopsies of thigh-muscle cells from the seniors before and

after

the six-month period, then compared them with muscle cells from 26

young volunteers (average age: 22). " To be honest, we were

expecting

some indication that the exercise program improved strength, "

says

biologist Simon Melov, director of genomics at the Buck Institute in

Novato, Calif., and coauthor of the study. What the scientists

didn't

expect was what they actually found—that after six months of

resistance training, there were dramatic changes at the genetic

level.

As Melov puts it, " 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. "

[Guest guest]

It is well-known that exercise is important for cardiovascular

health, muscular and bone strength, but this cellular study is

surprising because exercise actually INCREASES free radicals. One

argument that has been made many times is that too much exercise will

make you age more quickly due to free radical damage. So now the

question with respect to the *cellular level* is what amount of

exercise is appropriate?

>

> Here is yet more support for exercise as we get older:

>

> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18808971/site/newsweek/

>

> A study appearing this week in the online journal PLoS One looks at

> the effects of six months of strength training in 25 elderly

> volunteers aged 65 and older (average age: 70). The researchers took

> small biopsies of thigh-muscle cells from the seniors before and

after

> the six-month period, then compared them with muscle cells from 26

> young volunteers (average age: 22). " To be honest, we were expecting

> some indication that the exercise program improved strength, " says

> biologist Simon Melov, director of genomics at the Buck Institute in

> Novato, Calif., and coauthor of the study. What the scientists

didn't

> expect was what they actually found—that after six months of

> resistance training, there were dramatic changes at the genetic

level.

> As Melov puts it, " 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. "

>