New research has found that short bursts of exercise may significantly improve levels of metabolites that are indicators of key physical health issues.
The research, published in the
journal Circulation,
offers scientists a better understanding of the beneficial effects exercise can
have on a person’s health.
Scientists have known for a long
time that there is a link between physical activity and better health. As
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say,
“Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for
your health.”
The CDC note that regular exercise
can improve a person’s brain health; help them better manage their weight;
reduce their chances of developing various diseases, including diabetes, some
cancers, and cardiovascular disease; strengthen their muscles and bones; and
improve mental health.
While scientists are well aware of
these links, they do not fully understand the precise molecular mechanisms that
help explain the link between being physically active and maintaining better
health.
In this context, the researchers
wanted to look at the association between metabolites that are indicators of
health and exercise.
A person’s metabolism describes the
chemical reactions that take place in their body. Metabolites either facilitate these reactions
or are the end result of them. Scientists have identified relationships
between exercise and certain changes in metabolites.
Dr. Gregory Lewis, section head of
Heart Failure at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and senior author of the
study, says, “Much is known about the effects of exercise on cardiac, vascular,
and inflammatory systems of the body, but our study provides a comprehensive
look at the metabolic impact of exercise by linking specific metabolic pathways
to exercise response variables and long-term health outcomes.”
He continues:
“What was striking to us was the effects a brief bout of exercise can have on the circulating levels of metabolites that govern such key bodily functions as insulin resistance, oxidative stress, vascular reactivity, inflammation, and longevity.”
The researchers made use of
the Framingham
Heart Study (FHS), a long-term study directed by the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute.
The researchers measured 588
metabolites in 411 middle-aged people before and immediately after 12 minutes
of physical activity on an exercise bike. This allowed them to see the effect
that exercise has on the metabolome.
In general, the researchers found that the short burst of exercise
significantly altered 80% of a participant’s metabolites. In particular, they found that metabolites associated with adverse health outcomes when
resting were reduced.
For example, high levels of
glutamate have been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, and
the researchers found that these levels fell by 29% following exercise. The
levels of dimethylguanidine valerate (DMGV), which are
associated with liver disease and diabetes, fell by 18% following exercise.
The researchers note that their
findings may be valuable in helping doctors determine a person’s fitness
levels.
Dr. Matthew Nayor, a cardiologist in
the Heart Failure and Transplantation section of the MGH Cardiology Division,
explains, “Intriguingly, our study found that different metabolites tracked
with different physiologic responses to exercise, and might therefore provide
unique signatures in the bloodstream that reveal if a person is physically fit,
much the way current blood tests determine how well the kidney and liver are
functioning.”
He adds, “Lower levels of DMGV, for example, could signify higher levels
of fitness.”
By combining the information they
gained from this analysis with blood samples taken during previous rounds of
the FHS, the researchers were also able to determine the longer-term effects of
exercise on a person’s metabolome.
Dr. Ravi Shah of the Heart Failure
and Transplantation section of the MGH Cardiology Division notes, “We’re
starting to better understand the molecular underpinnings of how exercise
affects the body and use that knowledge to understand the metabolic architecture
around exercise response patterns.”
He adds, “This approach has the
potential to target people who have high blood pressure or many other metabolic
risk factors in response to exercise, and set them on a healthier trajectory
early in their lives.”
Source:Medical News Today
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