▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
Telomeres are a "hat"-like structure at the ends of each chromosome, with repetitive non-coding sequences. This structure protects the chromosomes from damage, but each time the cell divides, the telomeres become shorter as the chromosomes replicate.
When telomeres are shortened to a certain extent, chromosomal stability decreases and cells gradually stop dividing, which is also called "replication aging". Telomere length is also considered a key marker of biological age.
As we age, senescent cells with short telomere lengths also accumulate, which is associated with many aging-related symptoms, such as physical weakness and age-related diseases.
A recent study from the University of Leicester analysed data from more than 400,000 adults in the UK Biobank and found a clear link between walking speed and genetic markers of biological age. Their study, published in Communication Biology, points out that when analyzed from a telomere perspective, maintaining rapid walking can make the biological age up to about 16 years younger, and after adjusting for other influencing factors, the physiological age can still be as young as 2 years.
Using massive data from the UK Biobank, the study analysed the relationship between the walking speed reported by volunteers and numerous diseases. People who walked moderately or faster reported taking medications that control cholesterol and blood pressure compared to those who walked slower, and chronic diseases were also reported less frequently.
Of all, people with slow walking also played the least amount of physical activity, while obesity rates were higher.
Image credit: 123RF
One of the most critical results is that walking speed is clearly linked to the telomere length (LTL) of white blood cells. People with normal pace or walking fast have significantly longer LTL than people who walk slowly.
Subsequent analyses have shown that daily physical activity that maintains higher intensity is associated with longer LTL, and this correlation persists after adjusting for many variables.
Existing research has found that LTL is linked to many diseases, such as coronary artery disease and cancer. LTL is also seen as a marker of biological age, which may indicate telomere length in other tissues, as well as the senescent state of cells associated with the immune system.
▲There is a significant correlation between fast walking and longer telomere length (Image source: Reference[1])
Studies have shown that in addition to walking quickly, similar long-term endurance training can also slow the rate at which LTL shortens. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 3-5 times a week also reduced LTL damage compared to the control group.
Maintaining a fast walking habit can increase the activity of telomere binding proteins and telomerase, which can prevent telomeres from shortening. The same team of researchers also found in previous studies that walking quickly for 10 minutes a day can increase life expectancy.
Professor Tom Yates, corresponding author of the study, said: "Walking speed is a very useful indicator of health status. From a telomere perspective, faster walking speed can really make your biology younger. ”
Resources:
[2] Stop the clocks: Brisk walking may slow biological aging process. Retrieved Apr 22th ,2022 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-clocks-brisk-biological-aging.html
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