The Impact of Exercise on Telomere Length, DNA Methylation and Metabolic Footprints

Abstract

Aging as a major risk factor influences the probability of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, amongst others. The underlying mechanisms of disease are still not fully understood, but research suggests that delaying the aging process could ameliorate these pathologies. A key biological process in aging is cellular senescence which is associated with several stressors such as telomere shortening or enhanced DNA methylation. Telomere length as well as DNA methylation levels can be used as biological age predictors which are able to detect excessive acceleration or deceleration of aging. Analytical methods examining aging are often not suitable, expensive, time-consuming or require a high level of technical expertise. Therefore, research focusses on combining analytical methods which have the potential to simultaneously analyse epigenetic, genomic as well as metabolic changes.

Reflexiones de la prescripción de ejercicio físico en la consulta del médico familiar

“…La realización de ejercicio físico ajustado según el contexto personal tiene beneficios psiconeuroinmunoendocrinos, aumentando la síntesis de proteínas y la masa muscular; el ejercicio combinado (fuerza + cardiorrespiratorio) es el más adecuado para disminuir la sarcopenia. Desde el punto de vista fisiológico, el ejercicio de fuerza mejora la densidad y dinámica mitocondrial; a la par el ejercicio cardiorrespiratorio aumenta la capacidad antioxidante mitocondrial optimizando el flujo sanguíneo al incrementar el óxido nítrico permitiendo una mayor circulación de antioxidantes, favoreciendo el aumento de la longitud de los telómeros retrasando el envejecimiento; esta conjugación acrecienta las funciones musculares y vasculares fomentando un envejecimiento saludable [14][15][16][17] .…”