Regular exercise can keep the body decades younger

 In a new study involving people over 70 who have exercised regularly for years, scientists discovered that the participants’ hearts, lungs, and muscles were in equivalent shape to those of people in their 40s.

Researchers from the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University in Muncie, IN recently assessed the physical condition of people in their 70s who have been exercising regularly for decades.

The team compared the health measurements of these participants with those of their more sedentary peers and with the measurements of healthy people in their 20s.

Specifically, the investigators measured heart and lung capacity, as well as muscle fitness. They have published their findings in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

“‘Exercise wins’ is the take-home message. We saw that people who exercise regularly year after year have better overall health. These 75-year-olds — men and women — have similar cardiovascular health to a 40–45-year-old.”

Lead researcher Scott Trappe, director of the Human Performance Laboratory

 Leisure exercise can keep you young

The researchers worked with three types of participants: seven women and 21 men in their 70s who exercised regularly, 10 women and 10 men in their 70s who led sedentary lifestyles, and 10 women and 10 men in their 20s, who were all healthy and who exercised regularly.

Participants in the first category reported having exercised throughout their lives, and they described enjoying frequent physical activity on a leisurely basis. Each of these participants worked out, on average, 5 days per week for a combined total of about 7 hours.

At one stage, the investigators sought to determine the participants’ aerobic endurance by evaluating their VO2 max measurements. This assesses the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can use during bouts of intense aerobic exercise. The researchers did so by asking the participants to cycle on indoor bikes.

The marker is important because, as the team explains, VO2 max tends to decline by approximately 10 percent every 10 years after a person reaches the age of 30, and this reduction corresponds to an increased risk of disease.

The researchers also performed muscle biopsies on the participants to assess the formation and distribution of small blood vessels in the muscles and to evaluate aerobic enzyme activity, which drives the metabolism of oxygen at the cellular level.

At another stage of the study, the team split the male participants into two groups: the performance group, which trained to compete, and the fitness group, which exercised for leisure.

They found that “For some of the variables, the performance group had some metrics that were superior to the fitness people, and cardiovascular capacity was one of those,” as Trappe notes.

“But things like muscle health and capillaries to support blood flow, they were equivalent between the two groups. Higher intensity didn’t necessarily take them to a higher place,” he adds.

The researchers suggest that the health measurements of the physically active participants in their 70s look like those of healthy people decades younger and that these benefits seem to apply to women and men alike.

30–45 minutes of exercise per day

The team notes that the older participants belong to a generation that received a lot of encouragement to take up sports.

“What was really interesting about this study is: These folks came out of the exercise-boom generation, which really started in the 1970s, when running and tennis became popular [for] the masses,” Trapp states.

The 1970s, the lead researcher explains, was also the decade in which women were permitted to join in more competitive sports, thanks to new federal laws adopted in the United States. “You did have some interesting things that happened back in that era,” he notes, referring to the adoption of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.

This law states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Thanks to this type of legislative change, Trappe says, researchers have been able to recruit female participants who practice sports at competitive levels.

But he emphasizes that it is not necessary to be competitive to reap the benefits of exercise.

“If you want to put 30–45 minutes of walking in one day, the amount of health benefit you are going to get from that is going to be significant and substantial,” Trappe says.

“Will it equal the person training for competitive performances? No. But, it will outdo the couch potato. In basic terms, 30–45 minutes of any type of exercise a day is beneficial,” he stresses.

Source - Medical News Today

How exercise rejuvenates cells, extending lifespan

 New research provides a window into how, on a cellular level, exercise can improve muscle health and, ultimately, exercise capacity, which is “the best predictor of mortality in the general population.”

A new studyTrusted Source published in the journal Nature Communications describes how exercise helps the body to keep the cells in the muscles healthy and strong.

“Whether muscle is healthy or not really determines whether the entire body is healthy or not,” says lead researcher Prof. Zhen Yan, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.

“And exercise capacity, mainly determined by muscle size and function,” he adds, “is the best predictor of mortality in the general population.”

According to the new study, exercise improves muscle health by renewing its cellular powerhouse: the mitochondria. Mitochondria are crucial to the good functioning of our bodies, as well as to our overall health and longevity.

These tiny parts of the cell turn the food we eat into energy. Mitochondria transform proteins, fats, and sugars into the fuel that the body needs to live.

So, how does exercise affect the mitochondria in the muscles?

Exercise promotes mitophagy in mice

The answer given by the new study is through “mitophagy.” MitophagyTrusted Source describes the process by which damaged or defective mitochondria are selected and removed, usually after a period of stress.

In the case of muscles, mitophagy contributes to keeping skeletal muscle healthy and strong. And to show how exercise induces mitophagy, Prof. Yan and team genetically modified mice to carry a gene that helps to report on the effects of physical activity.

This gene is called pMitoTimer. It makes mitochondria fluorescent, allowing the researchers to study mitophagy in vivo, after the mice engaged in 90 minutes of treadmill running.

Three to 12 hours after the running session, the researchers observed that mitochondria showed signs of stress. After 6 hours, they saw signs of mitophagy.

Prof. Yan explains the effect of exercise on mitochondria through an analogy that includes a vehicle inspection, the purpose of which is to remove defective cars from the streets.

“Aerobic exercise removes damaged mitochondria in skeletal muscle. If you do it repeatedly, you keep removing the damaged ones. You have a better muscle with better mitochondrial quality. We clean up the clunkers, now the city, the cell, is full of healthy, functional cars.”

Prof. Zhen Yan

 Chemical reaction in mitophagy identified

The researchers also identified the molecular mechanism behind the process. The treadmill workout seemed to activate a kinase called AMPK.

A kinaseTrusted Source is an enzyme that modifies other proteins through a process called phosphorylation. In this biochemical process, phosphate groups are added to proteins.

The researchers determined that, in a biochemical chain reaction, AMPK triggers another kinase called Ulk1.

Prof. Yan continues the vehicle inspection analogy, saying, “When [it’s] turned on, Ulk1 activates other components in the cell to execute the removal of dysfunctional mitochondria.”

“It’s analogous to a 911 call where a tow truck removes the clunkers. However,” he says, “we still do not know how these activities are coordinated.”

To confirm their discovery – that Ulk1 plays a critical role in mitophagy – the team created a mouse model lacking the Ulk1 gene. These mice were also subjected to treadmill exercise, but the ensuing mitophagy was considerably inhibited.

“Mice that were unable to do mitophagy did not have the benefit of exercise,” explains study co-author Joshua Drake, a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Yan’s laboratory.

“Even though, from an exercise standpoint, they still were able to run just as far as normal mice, they didn’t benefit metabolically with training,” he adds.

“These findings provide direct evidence of exercise-induced mitophagy and demonstrate the importance of Ampk-Ulk1 signaling in skeletal muscle,” the authors conclude.

Source - Medical News Today

Exercise may increase lifespan 'regardless of past activity levels'

 New research examines the relationship between trends in physical activity levels over time and mortality risk among adults in middle age and older. The findings suggest that it is never too late to start exercising, as becoming more active may lengthen lifespan “regardless of past activity levels.”

Exercise is good for us, without a doubt. From lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, to increasing life expectancy, the benefits of physical activity are numerous, as countless studies have shown.

But does it matter when one starts to exercise, and is it ever too late to reap the benefits? New research looks at the effects that exercise in middle and older age have on the risk of premature death and lifespan.

Specifically, a team of researchers has examined how changes in exercise levels over time affect a person’s risk of dying from any cause, as well as dying from specific conditions — such as cardiovascular disease.

Alexander Mok, a doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, led the new research, which appears in the journal The BMJ. Trusted Source

As Mok and colleagues explain in their paper, while numerous studies have already addressed the links between physical activity and mortality risk, fewer have focused on how exercise levels fluctuate over time and how these changes may affect longevity.

So, the scientists set out to remedy this research gap by conducting a large “population-based cohort study,” which included data on almost 15,000 people.

Studying changes in activity levels over time

Mok and team accessed the health data of 14,599 men and women who had enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Norfolk study between 1993 and 1997. The participants were between 40 and 79 years old.

The researchers examined the study participants once at the beginning of the study and then three more times until 2004. At this stage of the research, Mok and team looked at lifestyle and risk factors such as diet, alcohol intake, and smoking status, as well as measurements like age, height, weight, and blood pressure.

The team also considered the participants’ education level and social class — that is, whether they were unemployed, non-skilled or skilled workers, etc. Their “medical history of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, fractures […], asthma, and other chronic respiratory conditions” was also considered.

Questionnaires about physical activity provided useful information on the participants’ activity levels or sedentarism at work as well as in their spare time. The data from the questionnaires were corroborated with “objective measurements of individually-calibrated combined movement and heart rate monitoring.”

To assess mortality in the cohort, Mok and team followed the participants over a median period of 12.5 years after the last assessment, until the year 2016.

Becoming active slashes death risk

Throughout the follow-up period, a total of 3,148 people died. Of these deaths, 950 resulted from cardiovascular disease and 1,091 from cancer. The researchers adjusted for factors that might have confounded the results, such as existing levels of physical activity and other health risk factors.

After accounting for these confounders, high levels of exercise and increased physical activity over time correlated with a lower mortality risk overall.

Also, the results suggested that even if someone decided to exercise after being physically inactive, the benefits for longevity would still be significant.

Specifically, looking at physical activity energy expenditureTrusted Source, the analysis revealed that with each physical activity increase of 1 kilojoule/kilogram/day (kJ/kg/day) per year, the risk of premature mortality from any cause dropped by 24%.

The same modest increase in exercise correlated with a 29% lower risk of cardiovascular death and an 11% lower risk of dying from any form of cancer.

The authors explain that an increase of 1 kJ/kg/day per year is the equivalent of not being physically active at all at the start of the study and gradually becoming more active over a 5-year period, to the point of meeting the minimum physical activity guidelines issued by the government.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommend that adults engage in “at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.”

Benefits do not depend on past activity

The analysis also revealed that, “regardless of past activity levels,” people who increased their activity levels over time were less likely to die from any cause than people who were “consistently inactive.”

Finally, the greatest longevity benefits were seen among individuals who had high physical activity levels at the start of the study and increased them even more with time. These highly active people were 42% less likely to die prematurely from any cause. Mok and colleagues conclude:

“These results are encouraging, not least for middle-aged and older adults with existing cardiovascular disease and cancer, who can still gain substantial longevity benefits by becoming more active, lending further support to the broad public health benefits of physical activity.”

The authors also recommend, “In addition to shifting the population towards meeting the minimum physical activity recommendations, public health efforts should also focus on the maintenance of physical activity levels, specifically preventing declines over mid to late life.”

Source - Medical News Today

How much should you exercise for a longer, healthier life? Study offers clues

 

• There are many factors when it comes to living a long and healthy life.
• Some of these factors cannot be changed, while many others are modifiable.
• A new study from researchers at the University of Jyväskylä has found that while exercise is important to living a long life, following other healthy lifestyle habits may have an even greater impact.

Many factors are involved when it comes to living a long and healthy life.

Some factors like geneticsTrusted Source and genderTrusted Source cannot be changed. However, many other habits, such as nutrition, physical activity, reducing stress, not smoking, and proper sleep, can be modified.

A new studyTrusted Source from researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland that is currently being peer-reviewed has found that while exercise is important to living a long life, following other healthy lifestyle habits may have an even greater impact.

Longevity: Exercise may not be a factor on its own

Ms. Anna Kankaanpää, project researcher at the Gerontology Research Center in the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and lead author of this study, told Medical News Today she decided to study the correlation between leisure-time physical activity and mortality risk because a previous studyTrusted Source conducted at the University of Jyväskylä suggested that the association may be due to genetic influences.

“This finding contradicts results from a study involving Swedish twins, which found an association independent of genetic factors,” Kankaanpää continued. “I aimed to explore the reason for this discrepancy.”

Also, in the study, the researchers discuss that while previous research shows a link between exercise and a lower risk of mortality from all causes and cardiovascular disease, some previous research — such as this studyTrusted Source published in December 2021 — found exercise does not reduce all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease in older adults or people with chronic conditions.

This, the researchers say, may show there are other underlying factors than exercise alone affecting how long a person lives.

Physically active lifestyle linked to lower mortality risk

For this study, the research team used the data of more than 11,000 sets of adult twins from the Finnish Twin Cohort.

The amount of physical activity study participants had was assessed through questionnaires given in 1975, 1981, and 1990. Participants were placed into four groups: sedentary, moderately active, active, and highly active. And participants’ mortality was monitored until 2020, a span of 45 years.

At the end of the study, Kankaanpää and her team found that over a third — almost 40% — of participants from the sedentary group died by the mortality follow-up in 2020, which was the largest percentage of the four groups.

Participants in the active groups had between 15% and 23% lower all-cause mortality risk when compared to the sedentary group.

“I was not surprised (by these results) because numerous observational studies consistently indicate this association,” Kankaanpää commented.

How do other lifestyle factors affect mortality risk?

The researchers then factored in other lifestyle factors, including body mass index (BMI), health status, alcohol use, and smoking status.

When those factors were applied, the mortality rate of participants from the sedentary group dropped to a maximum of 7%.

The scientists also found that participants in the sedentary and highly active groups experienced accelerated biological agingTrusted Source when compared to the moderately active and active groups.

According to the study, the researchers believe the beneficial association of long-term exercise with reduced death risk was largely accounted for not only by exercise but also by other health-related factors.

Instead of regular physical activity being the cause of lower mortality risk, it may instead be an indicator of an overall healthy lifestyle, helping to extend a person’s life.

“It would be interesting to study whether the same holds for cause-specific mortality, such as mortality due to cardiovascular diseases,” Kankaanpää said when asked about the next steps in this research. “Moreover, I would like to investigate the reasons behind the accelerated biological aging observed in highly active participants.”

One healthy habit does not counteract unhealthy lifestyle

After reviewing this study, Dr. David Cutler, a board certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told MNT that this study’s conclusion that the health benefits of being physically active may reflect healthy behavior in general, rather than exercise being the cause of reduced mortality, makes sense.

“(It) is consistent with my own observation that while many people exercise to gain health benefits, they often expect it to counteract unhealthful behaviors, which it does not,” Dr. Cutler explained. “This notion of ‘compensatory belief’ was supported by findings in the study.”

“Compensatory belief is the common notion that if you do something healthful it can counteract something unhealthful,” he continued. “For example, if you exercise it will eliminate the adverse effects of smoking. And in fact, what the study found was that the mortality in the sedentary group improved if you eliminated factors such as obesity and smoking.”

Dr. Cutler also said it is important to remember that engaging in healthful physical activity does not offset unhealthful diet, smoking, alcohol and drug use, or other detrimental activities like ignoring high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

“Significant improvements in health have been found worldwide through five simple measures: avoiding obesity, keeping blood pressure normal, not smoking, controlling diabetes, and treating high cholesterol,” he added. “Regular exercise might add to those benefits, but it won’t offset the detrimental effects of ignoring those proven beneficial pursuits.”

Some exercise is better than none for healthier, longer life

MNT also spoke about this study with Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, a board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, about this study.

Dr. Chen said this study clearly shows that being able to perform some exercise is associated with decreased mortality compared to just being sedentary and that some exercise is better than none.

“There have been other studies in the last few years that showed that there is kind of a leveling off (of) the benefits (of exercise),” he explained. “A study on the number of steps people take every day. These studies have shown that after a certain amount of walking — around 7,000 or 8000 steps a day — the benefit levels off. So it’s not like if you walk 20,000 steps a day, you’re better off if you walk 7,000 steps a day.”

“(This study) corresponds with other (recent) studies that showed at least a moderate amount of exercise is helpful,” Dr. Chen added. “That it might not be necessary to have a very high degree of exercise to get the health benefits should be the message.”

Dr. Chen also commented that one of the limitations is that this research was done on a very set population of Finland, which is not necessarily the same as people in the United States.

“It would be nice to look at data on a more heterogeneous population in the United States,” he added.

Source - Medical News Today

In Conversation: Why exercise is key to living a long and healthy life

 What should we do in order to live healthier lives for longer? Research shows there are a few lifestyle interventions that can effectively prolong our life and health span. One of these is exercise, but what kind, and in what combinations, and why does it help add years to our lives? Find out in our latest podcast episode.

Seemingly since times immemorial, humankind has been, metaphorically speaking, seeking the path that leads to the “Fountain of Youth” — that is ways to ensure a longer, healthier life.

And while we may not yet benefit of any “miracle” medicines or technologies to prolong our life spans well over the hundred-year mark, many recent studies have provided strong evidence in support of the notion that simple, achievable lifestyle changes can help us stay healthy for longer and decrease our risk of premature death.

Research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023Trusted Source, for example, suggested that eight healthy habits can slow down biological aging by as much as 6 years.

These habits are related to diet, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco, maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, and, no less importantly, staying physically active.

In the latest instalment of our In Conversation podcast, Medical News Today explores the link between exercise and living a long and healthy life, in dialogue with Dr. Borja del Pozo Cruz and Dr. Edwina (Eddie) Brocklesby.

Dr. del Pozo Cruz is principal researcher in Applied Health Sciences at the University of Cadiz in Spain, and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark.

In collaboration with other researchers, Dr. del Pozo Cruz has conducted various studies exploring the link between different forms of exercise and the risk of death from different causes.

Dr. Brocklesby has gained fame under the nickname “Iron Gran,” as at the age of 72, she was the oldest British woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon. She is also founder and CEO of Silverfit, a not-for-profit organization promoting lifelong fitness.

What types of exercise lower death risk?

In a study published in JAMA Internal MedicineTrusted Source in August 2023, Dr. del Pozo Cruz and his colleagues analyzed data from 500,705 participants followed up for a median period of 10 years to see how different forms of exercise related to a person’s mortality risk.

The study looked at the effect of moderate aerobic physical activity, such as walking or gentle cycling, vigorous aerobic physical activity, such as running, and muscle-strengthening activity, like weight lifting.

Its findings indicated that a balanced combination of all of these forms of exercise worked best for reducing mortality risk.

More specifically, around 75 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, plus more than 150 minutes of vigorous exercise, alongside at least a couple of strength training sessions per week were associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

When it came to reducing the risk of death linked to cardiovascular disease specifically, Dr. del Pozo Cruz and his collaborators suggested combining a minimum of 150–225 minutes of moderate physical activity with around 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, and two or more strength training sessions per week.

Dr. Brocklesby, who goes by “Eddie,” is herself an example of the importance of combining different forms of exercise. Indeed, training and participating in a triathlon — which is an endurance multisport race where participants compete in swimming, cycling, and running — involves achieving a balanced “diet” of moderate and vigorous exercise, as well as strength training.

How little exercise is enough?

But what about people who are not nearly as athletic? What is the minimum “amount” of exercise that could help fend off some of the conditions that pose the highest threat to health?

Dr. del Pozo Cruz and his team may also have found an answer to this question. In December 2022, they published the findings to a previous study in the European Heart Journal.

This research suggested that engaging in vigorous exercise for only 2 minutes a day could help slash the risk of death related to cancer or cardiovascular events.

The researchers found that study participants who never engaged in vigorous exercise had a 4% risk of dying within 5 years, but introducing less than 10 minutes of vigorous activity weekly halved this risk. Moreover, their risk of death halved again for those who engaged in at least 60 minutes of exercise per week.

Is any physical activity good?

In our podcast, Dr. del Pozo Cruz emphasized that almost any amount of any form of exercise is better than none, a point reinforced by a new study arguing that any activity at all is better for heart health than a sedentary lifestyle.

However, he also cautioned that physical activity related to chores or to one’s job, as opposed to exercise in a leisure context, may sometimes do more harm than good.

Once again, his idea is supported by recently published research, which found a link between physically demanding occupations and a higher risk of cognitive impairment.

Some of the most common occupations linked to intensive physical activity cited in this research were in nursing and care, retail, and farming, where individuals are on their feet a lot, and often having to deal with stressful situations.

So while all forms of exercise can be good for health, strenuous or intensive physical activity in a work environment could end up compounding the risk of various health conditions.

And even exercise for leisure can affect aspects of physical health — such as joint integrity — particularly later in life. In our podcast, both Dr. del Pozo Cruz and Eddie emphasized the importance of consulting a trusted healthcare provider, who can advise on the best forms of exercise to engage in on an individual basis.

To find out more about how and why different forms of exercise can support longevity, and to hear the story of how Edwina became “Iron Gran,” listen to our podcast episode in full below or on your preferred streaming platform.

Source - Medical News Today

How does extreme exercise affect lifespan? Study offers new insight

 

• Regular exercise is an important part of living a healthy life, but some research suggests intense exercise may do more harm than good.
• A new study challenges previous findings and suggests that those who participate in extreme exercise may live longer.
• Researchers tracked a select group of elite runners capable and found they could live around five years longer on average than the general population.
• Further studies on types of exercise and duration are needed to substantiate these findings.

While everyone knows that exercising regularly is important for a healthy life, some previous studies have shown that intense exercise may have the opposite effect.

A new study, recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that people who participate in extreme exercise may live longer.

Researchers tracked a select group of elite runners capable of running a sub-4-minute mile and found they may live five years longer on average than the general population.

André la Gerche, PhD, a sports cardiologist and head of the Heart, Exercise and Research Trials (HEART) Laboratory supported by St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, and lead author of this study, explained to Medical News Today:

“There is a stubbornly held view in the community that you can do too much exercise. We thought that this was an opportunity to look at an exercise feat that, at the time, was thought impossible and that may stress the body beyond its limits. There was speculation that attempting such feats could have a detrimental effect on the body, Thus, it was an opportunity to address this fallacy.”

 Elite runners may live longer than the average person

For this study, la Gerche and his team focused on the longevity of a group of the first 200 male elite runners to run a sub-4-minute mile. The runners were from 28 different countries across North America, Europe, Oceania, and Africa.

All study participants were born between 1928 to 1955 and were on average 23 years old when they ran a mile in under 4 minutes.

Of the 200 participants, 60 — or 30% — had died, leaving 140 still alive at the time of the study.

Researchers found the average age of death for the study participants overall was 73, but the average age for the surviving elite runners was 77.

At the study’s conclusion, the scientists discovered:

• Generally, those who ran a sub-4-minute mile lived about five years more than their predicted life expectancy based on age, sex, birth year, and nationality.
• Those who ran a mile in under 4 minutes during the 1950s lived an average of nine years longer than the general population.
• Participants accomplishing the sub-4-minute mile in the 1960s lived about 5.5 years longer, and in the 1970s lived about 3 years more.

Findings similar to those seen in elite cyclists

la Gerche said they were not surprised by these findings regarding elite runners, as they are consistent with several other publications, such as the Tour De France cyclists, in which greater longevity has been observed.

“Our study set out to see how exercise affected elite athletes over the long term,” la Gerche said.

“We know that elite athletes have bigger heartsTrusted Source due to their sustained aerobic output, and there was some belief that this could affect their health and longevity, but we found the opposite. Five years of extra life compared to (the) average is very significant, especially when we found that many of these runners not only enjoyed long lives but were also healthy. They live better, for longer.”

“This is one of many projects that we are undertaking related to cardiovascular changes and health and exercise,” he added. “We continue to assess the factors that lead to favorable outcomes in those training regularly.”

How can you live longer if you’re not an elite athlete? 

Of course, not every person can run a sub-4-minute mile or be an elite athlete. So, how can the general population apply these findings to their own exercise regimen to hopefully extend their lives?

“Although we are told not to extrapolate in science, personally, I use this data as an aspiration to try and emulate as many lifestyle factors as a 4-minute miler: good diet, modest alcohol, dedication, and regular, intense exercise,” la Gerche said.

“Whilst I can’t necessarily share the genetic predisposition that likely also contributes to elite speed, the rest I can try to achieve.”

Jennifer Wong, MD, a board certified cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA — who was not involved with this study — told MNT:

“I think it reiterates the importance of exercise, maybe not necessarily this extreme level of exercise, but just any exercise being helpful for one’s cardiovascular health and ultimately, hopefully extending one’s life that way.”

Tracy Zaslow, MD, a board certified pediatrician and pediatric and adult primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, CA, not involved in this study, told MNT that more research is needed to determine how to better extrapolate this data.

“While I would not recommend changing practice based on this single study, it may be reassuring to know that there may not be as many risks of ‘overdoing it’ as previously believed. I would encourage readers to be inspired by these elite athletes to improve their own fitness, aiming for moderate exercise as often as possible,” Zaslow said.

Further research needed on types, duration of exercise

During further discussion, Wong said she felt this study’s findings made sense that this level of fitness early on in life would be associated with longevity.

“(It’s) also reassuring because sometimes we hear about extreme exercises causing problems,” she continued.

“I would love to see more studies showing (a) correlation between exercise later in life. Also, there’s a difference when someone continues exercising and (this) study was specifically just looking at one’s ability at one point in their life, but doesn’t speak to what happens later or who kept it up. Maybe there’d be a bigger difference between people who continued to exercise later in life.”

Zaslow told MNT she found the study interesting as it contradicts many other studies that previously show extreme exercise may increase rates of cardiac events, and changes in cardiac structure or function.

“Next steps include further studies of other types of athletes as this study was exclusively runners,” she said. “Additionally, comparing a broader range of athletes to determine if there is an optimal amount or intensity of exercise to best promote longevity.”

Source - Medical News Today