| Abstrakt: |
Simple Summary: Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes. The length of telomeres is highly related to chronological age. As people age, their telomeres become shorter. Shorter telomeres put people at a greater risk of premature disease and death. A healthy lifestyle tends to preserve telomeres, whereas unhealthy practices cause increased biological aging and shorter telomeres. This study investigated the extent to which regular strength training is related to the length of telomeres in 4814 US men and women who were representative of the US adult population. Participants gave blood, and the length of telomeres in their blood cells was precisely measured. Participants also reported how often they engaged in exercises to strengthen their muscles. The findings showed that adults who strength trained regularly had significantly longer telomeres and therefore less biological aging than adults who did not strength train, even after taking into account many factors, including their age, sex, race, income, household size, smoking, body size, and participation in physical activities other than strength training. Telomere length is an index of cellular aging. Healthy lifestyles are associated with reduced oxidative stress and longer telomeres, whereas unhealthy behaviors are related to shorter telomeres and greater biological aging. This investigation was designed to determine if strength training accounted for differences in telomere length in a random sample of 4814 US adults. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were employed to answer the research questions using a cross-sectional design. Time spent strength training was calculated by multiplying days of strength training per week by minutes per session. Participation in other forms of physical activity was also calculated based on reported involvement in 47 other activities. Weighted multiple regression and partial correlation were used to calculate the mean differences in telomere length across levels of strength training, adjusting for differences in potential confounders. With the demographic covariates controlled, strength training and telomere length were linearly related (F = 14.7, p = 0.0006). Likewise, after adjusting for all the covariates, the linear association remained strong and significant (F = 14.7, p = 0.0006). In this national sample, 90 min per week of strength training was associated with 3.9 years less biological aging, on average. Regular strength training was strongly related to longer telomeres and less biological aging in 4814 US adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
