Anti-Aging Trick: Putting on 179 Genes

Anti-Aging Trick: Putting on 179 Genes

By: Jeremy “tall trainer” Biernat

The title of the published article – Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle!

Melov, S. et al. (2007). Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle. PloS ONE, 2(5): e465

They took a group of 68 year-olds (average age) and a group of 24 year-olds (average age) and put them through Resistance Training, 2 days/week for 26 weeks. Coincidentally, we do resistance training in our program 2-3 days per week. Some of those workouts are because of the amazing results of this study.

They did basic resistance training exercises Chest Press, Leg Press, Lat Pull, Etc. They progressed in difficulty by making it heavier and adding more sets as time went on.

They did muscle biopsies (which is where they use a thick needle and pull out a little piece of muscle to analyze it) that were uncomfortable but the findings were worth it!

They analyzed the RNA, which is the messenger from the DNA to the working parts of the cell. It tells the cell what to do. They found that 179 Genes related to age and exercise had a reversal of gene expression (translation: they were functioning better!). Gene expressions of the resistance trained older subjects was now similar to the younger group!

This is crazy exciting! The study author said...

“We were very surprised by the results of the study… The fact that their ‘genetic fingerprints’ so dramatically reversed course gives credence to the value of exercise, not only as a means of improving health, but reversing the aging process itself, which is an additional incentive to exercise as you get older.” - Melov

Conclusion: Muscles don’t know age, they only know use and disuse.

We joke around in class while we are doing resistance training that we are putting on our 179 Genes and that those are even better than the Levi 501 jeans!

If you want to look and feel younger,  lifting relatively heavy weights is essential. If you are unsure how to do this or concerned about injury, contact a fitness professional in your area that specializes in this sort of exercise and your age group.

Until next time, you young whipper snapper!

About the author:

Jeremy Biernat, as well as the other trainers at Tall Trainer Fitness in Canandaigua, NY,  specialize in the 50+ population because there are not many facilities in the area that offer these services.   There is a huge need in the community for this specialization and they love helping people restore and retain their youth. To contact Jeremy, you can email him at [email protected] or call 1(800)380-7047.