Posted on 10/13/2018 4:00:03 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
It’s long been known that physical activity can reduce inflammation in your body and improve heart health.
HIIT was found to be even more effective at improving mitochondria biogenesis in older individuals.
“HIIT reversed many age-related differ- ences in the proteome, particularly of mitochondrial proteins in concert with increased mitochondrial pro- tein synthesis.”
“HIIT increased maximal absolute mitochondrial respiration in young (+49%) and older adults (+69%), whereas a significant increase following CT was observed in young (+38%), but not older adults”
“HIIT training in older adults had strong effect sizes in multiple outcomes, including mitochondrial respiration (1.7), aerobic fitness (0.99), insulin sensitivity (0.5)”
“HIIT revealed a more robust increase in gene transcripts than other exercise modalities, particularly in older adults, although little overlap with corresponding individual protein abundance was noted.”
Researchers enrolled 36 men and 36 women from two age groups—either under 30 or over 65.
They took on three different exercise programs that included high-intensity interval biking, strength training with weights, and one that mixed lighter cycling and lifting. Each group completed their plan for 12 weeks.
“Any exercise is better than being sedentary,” said Dr. Sreekumaran Nair, senior author of the study and a diabetes researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. However, Nair noted that high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in particular, is “highly efficient” when it comes to reversing many age-related changes.
Young and old, men and women
For the National Institutes of Health-funded study, Nair and his colleagues enlisted the help of both men and women from two age groups: The “young” volunteers ranged in age from 18 to 30; “older” volunteers ranged in age between 65 and 80. Next, the researchers divided these participants into three mixed-age groups and assigned each a different supervised exercise training program lasting three months.
The high-intensity interval training training group did three days a week of cycling, with high-intensity bouts sandwiched between low-intensity pedaling, and two days a week of moderately difficult treadmill walking.
The strength training group performed repetitions targeting both lower and upper body muscles just two days each week.Finally, the combined training group cycled (less strenuously than the first group) and lifted weights (fewer repetitions than the second group) for a total of five days a week.
There were clear differences, then, in the amount of time different participants spent in the gym.
Before and after each training session, the researchers assessed various aspects of each volunteer’s physiology, including body mass index, quantity of lean muscle mass and insulin sensitivity, one indication of diabetes.
The researchers also did routine biopsies of each volunteer’s thigh muscles and performed a biochemical analysis in order to establish a comprehensive fingerprint of the muscle.
Analyzing the gathered data, Nair and his colleagues found that all forms of exercise improved overall fitness, as measured by cardiorespiration, and increased insulin sensitivity, which translates into a lower likelihood of developing diabetes.
Although all exercise helped with musculature, strength training was most effective for building muscle mass and for improving strength, which typically declines with age.
Meanwhile, at the cellular level, high-intensity interval training yielded the biggest benefits.
With HIIT, younger participants saw a 49% increase, while older participants saw a 69% increase in mitochondrial capacity.
Every cell in our bodies contain mitochondria. They perform as tiny batteries do, producing much-needed energy that powers everything your cells do.
Interval training also improved volunteers’ insulin sensitivity more than other forms of exercise. Drilling down deeper, Nair and his colleagues compared the protein-level data gathered from participants to understand why exercise provided these benefits.
Enhancing your cellular machinery
If we think of the cell as a corporate hierarchy, genes (DNA) are the executives issuing orders to their middle managers: messenger RNA. Tasked with transcribing this order, the RNA turns to ribosomes, which perform a supervisory role by linking amino acids in order to assemble protein molecules. Finally, the proteins, cellular work horses, carry out the task originally dictated by the gene.
“Proteins sustain environmental damage and the damaged proteins have to be … replaced with newly synthesized (produced) proteins,” explained Nair in an email. “With aging in sedentary people, production of many protein molecules decline. … Gradually the quantity of these protein molecules decrease causing functional decline.”
Analyzing the muscle biopsies, the researchers discovered that exercise boosts cellular production of mitochondrial proteins and the proteins responsible for muscle growth.
“Exercise training, especially high intensity interval training, enhanced the machinery (ribosomes) to produce proteins, increased the production of proteins and enhanced protein abundance in muscle,” Nair said.
He said the results also showed that “the substantial increase in mitochondrial function that occurred, especially in the older people, is due to increase in protein abundance of muscle.”
In some cases, the high-intensity regimen actually seemed to reverse the age-related decline in both mitochondrial function and muscle-building proteins.
Exercise’s ability to transform mitochondria could explain why it benefits our health in so many different ways, according to the authors.
Muscle cells, like brain and heart cells, are unusual in that they divide only rarely compared with most cells in the body. Because muscle, brain and heart cells do wear out yet are not easily replaced, the function of all three of these tissues are known to decline with age, noted Nair.
If exercise restores or prevents deterioration of mitochondria and ribosomes in muscle cells, exercise possibly performs the same magic in other tissues, too. And, although it is important simply to understand how exercise impacts the mechanics of cells, these insights may also allow researchers “to develop targeted drugs to achieve some of the benefits that we derive from the exercise in people who cannot exercise,” Nair said.
‘Almost a medicine’
According to Jennifer Trilk, an assistant professor of physiology and exercise science at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, the new study is comprehensive and supports previous research, combining it all into one paper.
“We cannot have enough studies surrounding this information because of how impactful it is for health,” said Trilk, who was not involved in the research
She explained that if younger people boost mitochondrial function when they’re young, they would be preventing disease, while for an older population, they would also be preventing disease while maintaining skeletal muscle, which wanes in older age.
“Mitochondrial function is important to almost every cell in the human body,” Trilk said. “So when you don’t have mitochondrial function or when you have mitochondrial dysfunction, you have dysfunction of cells, so from a molecular standpoint, you start seeing cellular dysfunction years before you start seeing the global effect, which ends up coming out as symptoms of diseases: diabetes, cancers and cardiovascular disease.”
Juleen Zierath, a professor of integrative physiology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, finds the study to be “a really comprehensive and thorough analysis of human skeletal muscle before and after” adapting to different exercise regimens. Zierath, who did not participate as a researcher in the current study, also appreciated the fact that the authors comprehensively examined the effects on both younger and older participants.
“It teases out some of the training regimes that might be leading to greater effects on what they call mitochondrial fitness,” she said. Compared with the other two exercise programs, interval training “really had a more robust effect” on the machinery of cells, she said.
“It boosted the proteins that are important for mitochondrial function — the oxygen powerhouse of the cells,” Zierath said. “It reversed many of what we call age-related differences in mitochondrial function and oxidative metabolism.”
“Part of what happens with HIIT is, you disturb homeostasis, you exercise at a really high level, and the body needs to cope with that,” she explained.
Even though one program had superior effects, “every single exercise protocol they tested had positive effects,” said Zierath, who is looking forward to future research in this vein.
“Exercise is almost a medicine in some respects,” Zierath said. “It’s never too late to start exercising.”
That’s the general idea.
I have been using every imaginable excuse to put it off.
I have somehow hung to it so far, but, as you say, it is tough.
That said, my experience tells me that tough things are the things worth hanging onto.
All the easy things I have known have been worthless...but the tough things I have earned by the skin of my teeth...
Those are the things that last.
I’m 75, walk 5-10 miles a day with a 30lb pack.
_______________
Horsing drugs for a cartel?
So Rooster, do you think that I could do this with my stationary recumbant bike (arthritis) ?
Yes. HIIT exercise can be done with all exercise. HIIT only means that you are working as hard as you can for limited amounts of time. This definition will vary with the individual, their physical condition, their medical issues.
If you are able, with your arthritis, to do HIIT, it is great.
Pedal hard for a minute. Then at a comfortable rate, that still keeps your heart elevated for another minutes. Then another really hard minute. Than another comfortable minutes. Until your minutes are up.
Anyone interested should search on Youtube (I know) for Dr. Berg and DeLauer to get the real explanation and advice on how to benefit. Also multiple examples on curing/improving many illnesses and medical conditions.
“High Intensity Interval Training may reverse aging”
While simultaneously increasing your chances of a cardiovascular event.
muscle needs recovery time or the muscle you are building really isn’t the best. I read years ago and know people today who only do intense exercise, fatiguing multiple groups of muscles, once or twice a week and get good results because of the true recovery days. meaning don’t do cardio or go hiking or other “exercise” on the off days - truly let your muscles have a chance to knit/build. I know too many people exercise themselves into injury shoulder, back, leg, they are too bought into “have to exercise 5-7 days a week” and it’s not healthy for most people.
Sprinters usually do some interval training on a regular basis. In college, Tuesdays were interval days. One of those days I almost passed out. Was finishing a 400 and thought “the track is moving up-it’s going to hit my face That’s strange”. A coach caught me, gave me a pep talk while tapping her finger on my temple, shoved me back on the track and off I went.
Years of that has made me a walker rather than a runner. I suppose I could work in a sprint every now and then-I miss the rush it brings.
“and *gasp* greater libido (not too sure what to do with that).”
No doubt. Never once in the many articles I’ve read profiling centenarians (usually 110+) have any of them ever mentioned that they performed intense workout regimes. They almost invariably credit good genes, a healthy spirit, closeness of family and friends, love of their work, etc. ....and a diet of bacon, ice cream, and good whiskey.
There is no “best exercise” for everyone, especially as people get older. If you have been running for years it probably is the best exercise for you. But because it is a “high impact” exercise, running causes all sorts of injuries in some people. In others it improves their bone density and doesn't cause many joint issues. But this depends largely on their physical makeup and previous exercise experience.
Based on people that I know... running seems to be good for younger people who are not overweight. Old fat people are frequently just torturing themselves and often end up with injuries. Most of them would be better off with something that is low impact like walking, cycling, rowing, or swimming at least until they lose some weight and make some sort of progress on their physical fitness level.
“While simultaneously increasing your chances of a cardiovascular event.”
No, you just stop noticing the easy things that are worth it!
Horsing drugs for a cartel?
I do mine on my indoor bike trainer.
The program I am using at present for my HIIT is a slow warm-up for 10 minutes and then 4 internals of only 30 seconds with each interval followed by a few minutes to catch my breath. In each of my intervals, I go all out (holding nothing back).
If I were doing anything other than riding my bike trainer, I would lose correct form. For example, I have a rowing machine that I use a couple of times a week. If I ramp up the intensity on my rowing machine, I cannot maintain the correct form and my back ends up hurting the next day. Same for all the Crossfit exercises.
I think any exercise that requires correct form is not good for HIIT because you cannot pay attention to form while at the same time driving yourself to maximum output.
BTW, If you are not currently doing hard cardio workouts, start slowly. You can still do interval work but be careful to build weekly by a adding intensity.
Anyone not already fit cardio-wise should not do HIIT.
As a final note, I chose 30 second intervals because it is just about 10 seconds more than I can bare. That means that the last 10 seconds are just hell (and I think that's the general idea). If my interval were any longer, I would start pacing myself and that's not the goal.
The goal is to go all out for each interval. Some folks even barf when it's all over...and that's a good thing.
trotting around with Roundup?
Yes its called work
wha’ dat?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.