A new study examined the effects of genetic mileage and aging on tissue metabolism. The study found that adipose tissue can play a key role in healthy aging.
The results of the study were published in the journal “Geroscience”.
A high mileage is associated with health and longevity. However, it is not known whether high genetic mileage promotes a more efficient metabolism with increasing age.
This study, carried out in collaboration with the universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China) and Jyväskylä (Finland), examined the effects of genetic running ability and aging on tissue metabolism. The study found that adipose tissue can play a key role in healthy aging.
Running capacity, expressed as aerobic capacity, refers to a person’s ability to utilize oxygen and is known to decrease with age, thereby affecting metabolism and overall body health.
“We currently have no information on whether high genetic aerobic capacity promotes healthier metabolism in various tissues with age,” said Academy of Finland postdoc Sira Karvinen from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at Jyväskylä University, Finland.
To investigate the question, animal models of high performance runners (HCR) and low capacity runners (LCR) were used. These rodent lines differ genetically in their aerobic capacity. Samples of serum, muscle and adipose tissue were taken from young and old animals to examine tissue metabolites.
“According to our results, high genetic mileage has been linked to more efficient amino acid metabolism in skeletal muscles. Inefficient amino acid metabolism is linked to increased obesity and the risk of metabolic diseases, ”said Karvinen.
High genetic mileage and aging interactively influenced fat metabolism in muscle and adipose tissue and possibly contributed to healthier metabolism with age.
The results suggest that adipose tissue may play a more significant role in promoting healthy aging than previously thought. According to the current literature, about 50 percent of a person’s aerobic capacity is genetically inherited and the other 50 percent can be acquired through physical activity.
“Regular exercise promotes health, regardless of whether you have genetically high or low aerobic capacity. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you use exercise to increase your metabolism, especially in old age when aerobic capacity and other health parameters decline,” said the study director Professor Heikki Kainulainen from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at Jyväskylä University, Finland.
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