Skip to main content

Autophagy and Exercise

SYNOPSIS: “Worth All the Sweat” (Economist, Jan. 2012); “Exercise as Housecleaning for the Body” (NYT); "Exercise as Housecleaning for the Body," Gretchen Reynolds, NYT, Feb. 2, 2012)

We’ve all heard about the many downsides of being under pressure, but did you know that when it comes to the health of your cells, stress can be a good thing?

Autophagy is the process by which cells clean out the “garbage” that accumulates in them. Cells constantly recycle old proteins and internal dead parts to use for energy. When the body undergoes stress—food deprivation or physical exertion—autophagy kicks in. This mechanism could help animals and humans survive through leaner times when sustenance is not readily available.

Researchers have known for a while about the anti-aging effects of cell recycling. When animals are fed a near-starvation diet, they live longer. Some intrepid humans have adopted this practice with the hope of prolonging their lives. Recent research shows, however, that strenuous exercise may be a less radical lifestyle change that gets similar results.

In the journal Nature earlier this year, Dr. Beth Levine and colleagues (UT Southwestern Medical Center) tested the hypothesis that one of the benefits of exercise is autophagy.

In the first group of mice, her team tagged autophagosomes (the structures that form around the cell parts designated for recycling) green to be visible. As the rodents ran on the treadmill, the number of autophagosomes in their muscle tissue increased.

In the second group of mice, scientists deactivated the mice’s ability to self-clean their cells. Even exercise did not stimulate the process. The mice could not run as long and their bodies’ ability to use sugar from the bloodstream was highly compromised. In other words, it became highly difficult for their cells to produce the energy they needed.

Insights into how autophagy works could help researchers treat type 2 diabetes more effectively.

Moreover, other recent studies suggest that diseases like cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and muscular dystrophy are more likely to develop if autophagy is inhibited. These findings may explain why some researchers have found evidence linking enhanced cognitive abilities to moderate exercise.

So, whether you run on a treadmill like the mice or scull on the Schuylkill, get out there and scrub your cells! Or, if you prefer an even more simplistic dictum, eat less and exercise more.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

John Heinz Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum

On a clear, sunny day in April 1991, a small plane carrying Republican Senator Henry John Heinz III and a helicopter dispatched to inspect the landing gear of the plane collided in mid-air over Lower Merion Elementary School, near Narberth, PA. Tragically, everyone aboard both aircraft, as well as two children on the ground, was killed. Following the respected senator’s death, Heinz’s 20 years of public service was recognized by the naming of a college at Carnegie Mellon University after him and the founding of a history center that bears his name. Perhaps one of the highest honors bestowed upon the late senator was the re-naming of the Tinicum National Environmental Center, located a short, 15-minute drive from Naval Square. Heinz was a key player in the initial founding of the refuge in 1972. The John Heinz Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is the perfect place to visit with family and friends. You can even take your dog along for the trip! Although the refuge is situated next to t...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Happiest Place on Earth

As I am shuffled through a dark, narrow tunnel by faceless attendants, my claustrophobia escalates from a minor issue to a big problem.    My two children, unnaturally calm husband, and myself are then gently transported in oversized seashells through yet another curving, dark tunnel featuring dancing images of Nemo and Dory. I manage to quell my rising panic attack. Welcome to “The Happiest Place on Earth”! If you are considering a family trip to the Walt Disney World (WDW) theme parks located in and around Orlando, Florida, read on. If, however, you expect a cheerful litany of helpful hints, think again. My impressions of the parks and the quality of Disney’s cuisine, lodging, and service are rendered with a gimlet eye: No detail escapes my hyper-vigilant worldview. I do admire Disney’s vision, and the organization is engaged in wonderful endeavors. But I would be remiss if I did not also point out the less sunny side of WDW. It IS a “small world,” after all, until ...
Post a Comment
Read more

SouthGate Turns Traditional Korean Food on Its Head (in a Good Way)

SouthGate www.southgatephilly.com 1801 Lombard Street 215-560-8443 My earliest memory of eating in a Korean barbeque restaurant hails all the way back to 1992, in Pentagon City, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Each table had a built-in grill on which patrons cooked marinated, thinly sliced, tender beef. Numerous tasty vegetable sides calmed the palate. The food was so delicious that one hardly even noticed the bland, conservative décor. You had to wonder, however: am I eating in the lobby of an office tower, or a restaurant? Happily, the Korean cuisine-inspired gastropub SouthGate (1801 Lombard Street) boasts both a modern, hip atmosphere and an inventive menu. The long and narrow space that once housed Tangier bar and restaurant has been transformed: white and gray tiles cover the walls facing the bar, and muted, soft lighting lends a warm glow. The energy is upbeat and young without feeling pretentiously exclusive or manic.  Although many fried foo...
Post a Comment
Read more