Authors: Grace Maurer, Kevin Murray, Rachel Gioscia-Ryan, Jamie Justice, Melanie Zigler, et al.
Presented: American Physiology Summit 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.2023.38.S1.5730321
Objective:
To find out if staying physically active throughout life helps protect the body’s physical abilities during aging, and whether these benefits are connected to changes in molecules found in blood plasma.
Key Findings:
· Exercise Helped Mice Stay Strong and Coordinated as They Aged:
o Mice that ran on wheels every day kept more of their grip strength, endurance, and coordination as they got older than mice that didn’t exercise.
o By 18 months, the running mice showed much less physical decline compared to sedentary mice.
· Exercise Changed Blood Metabolites Linked to Healthy Aging:
o 23 specific metabolites and 7 key metabolic pathways in the blood were different in the running mice.
o These pathways included those involved in energy production (TCA cycle), protein building (tRNA biosynthesis), and muscle health (arginine biosynthesis).
· Certain Blood Metabolites Were Linked to Physical Abilities:
o Spermidine and DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) were tied to better grip strength.
o Spermidine and L-ornithine were tied to better endurance.
o Citrate, spermidine, and 6 other metabolites were tied to better coordination.
· Exercise Keeps the Body’s Chemistry More “Youthful”:
o The metabolite patterns in old mice that exercised looked similar to patterns seen in young, fit humans after exercise.
Conclusion:
Lifelong voluntary aerobic exercise helped mice stay strong, energetic, and well-coordinated as they aged. These physical benefits were linked to healthy changes in their blood chemistry. The study suggests that consistent aerobic exercise may slow aging by supporting better body function at a cellular level.
Disclaimer:
This summary is based on animal research and is meant for educational purposes only. It does not replace medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting or changing your exercise habits.
Lifelong voluntary aerobic exercise-mediated preservation of physical function is related to changes in the plasma metabolome in aged mice 23 May 2023https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.2023.38.S1.5730321
