Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/510259
Researchers have discovered that exercise affects the behavior of your muscle stem cells. is finding could lead to new rehabilitation techniques for muscle injuries and may help prevent or even restore age-related muscle loss. It has long been known that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in skeletal muscle are an important part of the muscle repair process. According to lead author Marni Boppart, "Since exercise can induce some injury as part of the remodeling process following mechanical strain, we wondered if MSC accumulation was a natural response to exercise and whether these cells contributed to the beneficial regeneration and growth process that occurs post exercise." ey concluded that MSCs in muscle are very responsive to mechanical strain, and that these stem cells do accumulate in muscle post exercise. And while the MSCs don't directly contribute to building new muscle fibers, they do release growth factors, which encourage other cells to generate new muscle. Preliminary data suggest people's muscles tend to become increasingly deficient in MSCs which advancing age, so the researchers hope to develop a therapy that combines exercise with stem cell based strategies to prevent age-related muscle loss. According to Professor Boppart, "Although exercise is the best strategy for preserving muscle as we age, some individuals are just not able to effectively engage in physical activity. Disabilities can limit opportunities for muscle growth. We're working hard to understand how we can best utilize these cells effectively to preserve muscle mass in the face of atrophy." For the rest of us, this finding may offer renewed inspiration to get moving; and especially to incorporate strength training throughout your life, regardless of your age. Aer all, without muscle strength, movement becomes difficult. And impaired movement can suck a lot of the joy out of your life. Stem Cells Offer Powerful Potential in Anti-Aging Medicine I believe many stem cell therapies will be a major part of the future of medicine, especially anti-aging medicine. e beauty with adult stem cells is that you're less likely to need dangerous immunosuppressive drugs, as there's little risk of rejection when using your own adult stem cells. What makes stem cells so special is Exercise affects the behavior of your muscle stem cells, which play an important part in your muscle repair process. This finding may also lead to new combination therapies that include stem cell based strategies to prevent age-related muscle loss. Telomere length – the length of the terminal caps of your chromosomes – is considered to be a marker of aging and health, and is also beneficially impacted by vigorous exercise. Recent research found that while blood cell telomere length in women who were moderately or highly active had a .07 standard deviation increase. Although associations were modest, these findings suggest even moderate amounts of activity may be associated with longer telomeres, and hence greater health and longevity. Exercise has also been shown to have a buffering effect, protecting your telomeres from the damaging impact of chronic psychological stress. Previous research has shown that in women who do not exercise, each unit increase in the Perceived Stress Scale is related to a 15-fold increase in the odds of having short telomeres. Highly Stressed Women Age Much Faster If They Fail to Exercise Page 22| Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com