Turning back the clock
When you study ageing it sometimes feels like it’s all one way: downhill. Every metric you can think of seems to decline with age and we’re often told the best we can do is keep the slope as shallow as possible. Some latest research suggests those of us doing a considerable amount of physical activity might be able to do a little more than just keeping the slope shallow.
Research conducted by various teams from China, Australia and Boston in the US sought to address gaps in existing literature by examining the relationship between various levels of physical activity (PA) and eight DNA methylation (DNAm)-predicted epigenetic clocks, while also considering the role of socio-demographic factors. The research focused on understanding how PA influences biological ageing and how PA influences various DNAm-based ageing indicators to offer valuable insights into the mechanisms through which PA promotes healthy ageing and longevity. The research also aimed to provide a broader perspective on the intersection of PA and epigenetic ageing.
What are Epigenetic clocks?
Epigenetic clocks are based on DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns. DNAm refers to epigenetic modifications that occur with age. These patterns are influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors, making them important for studying ageing. They provide a way to estimate biological age. This is different from chronological age (the number of years lived) and offers a more nuanced view that can provide insights into biological ageing beyond just chronological years.
Different epigenetic clocks exist, each representing a different approach to estimating biological age. In essence, epigenetic clocks translate patterns of DNA methylation into an estimate of a person's biological age, serving as biomarkers for the ageing process at a molecular level.
Findings
The study analysed data from 948 participants (mean age 62, 49% female) from a U.S. population sample. They also analysed eight epigenetic clocks, including HorvathAge, HannumAge, SkinBloodAge, LinAge, WeidnerAge, VidalBraloAge, ZhangAge, and PhenoAge.
Higher PA levels were significantly associated with younger biological ages across all eight epigenetic clocks that were analysed. Even after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors such as gender, race, BMI, smoking status, and alcohol consumption, inverse associations between PA and DNAm-predicted ages were observed across multiple epigenetic clocks.
Crucially, an inverse association means that as PA levels increased, the DNAm-predicted age decreased. Basically the more PA people engaged in, the greater the response to biological ageing.
The findings also offer new evidence on the protective effects of PA against epigenetic ageing in individuals with lower BMIs, suggesting that maintaining a healthy weight may enhance PA's anti-ageing benefits.
Conclusion
For us, ‘midlife athletes’ engaging in high levels of physical activity, this research provides evidence suggesting that our efforts are likely contributing to a significantly younger biological age compared to individuals with lower activity levels, potentially slowing down the biological ageing process in a dose-dependent manner whilst also supporting healthy ageing and longevity.
Basically….don’t slow down!