Why We Age

In the absence of an actual fountain of youth, people have turned to drugs, creams, and even blood to prevent aging. But it turns out one of the best ways to combat the inevitable was right under our noses all alongexercise.

As we get older our cells lose their ability to generate energy effectively, which leads to the physical changeswe associate with aging.Researchled by Sreekumaran Nair at the Mayo Clinic reveals that high intensity interval training (HIIT) can help reverse those effects.

The study includedvolunteers from two age groups, one between 18 and 30, and the otherbetween 65 to 80. These groups were then divided into three: one received HIIT, another received weight training, and the third group was given a combination of both. All volunteers had to engage in the regimen for three months, and muscle biopsies were taken before and after for comparison.

Aging actually happens at a cellular level. As the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) declines with age, it leads to many age-related conditions everything from worsening eyesight to cancer. HIIT training which involves short bursts of intense physical activity, mixed with periods of lower-intensity exercise can apparently boost the mitochondrias ability to generate energy by 69 percent among older subjects, and 49 percent in a younger group.

Perhaps the most telling sign of cellular aging is when the body begins to have difficultywith specific functions, such as the muscles ability to burn excess blood sugar which could lead to diabetes. HIIT training lead to not just a halt in thedecline, but evenreversed it. After three months of interval training, everything converged towards what we saw in young people, says Nair.

In addition to positive impacton a cellular level, the training also provideda major improvement in lung, heart, and circulation health. The amount of oxygen the younger groupcould inhale rose by 28 percent, androse by 17 percent among the older volunteers.

Among the group that was given weight training instead of HIIT, no mitochondrial or respiratory improvements were observed. Under this exercise regimen, the best benefit received was gaining muscle mass. In the group that received a combination of both, oxygen consumption rose by 21 percent among older volunteers, and showed intermediate results.In a statement announcing their research, Dr. Nair said:

Other research centered around anti-aging efforts are also making significant strides: a drug called metformin, which has long been used to treat diabetes, has just been approved for clinical trials involving its potentialage-related applications. A separate study claims to have formulated a drug that can help slow down the aging process. Having a deeper understanding of genetics has also helped scientists gainnew insights into how we can effectively slow physical aging and the onset of age-related diseases.

Given these findings, combined with numerous breakthroughs in the field, we may be closer to the fountain of youth than we think.

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Scientists Have Found a Way to Reverse the Signs of Aging - Futurism