Stop the clocks: Brisk walking may slow biological aging process (Up to 20 extra years)

Medical Xpress / University of Leicester / Communications Biology ^ | Apr. 21, 2022 | Paddy C. Dempsey et al

[ConservativeMind]

A new study of genetic data published Wednesday April 20 of more than 400,000 UK adults has revealed a clear link between walking pace and a genetic marker of biological age.

Confirming a causal link between walking pace and leucocyte telomere length (LTL)—an indicator of biological age—the Leicester-based team of researchers estimate that a lifetime of brisk walking could lead to the equivalent of 16 years younger biological age by midlife.

Researchers from the University of Leicester studied genetic data from 405,981 middle-aged UK Biobank participants and found that a faster walking pace, independent of the amount of physical activity, was associated with longer telomeres.

Telomeres are the "caps" at the end of each chromosome, and they hold repetitive sequences of non-coding DNA that protect the chromosome from damage, similar to the way the cap at the end of a shoelace stops it from unraveling.

Each time a cell divides, these telomeres become shorter—until a point where they become so short that the cell can no longer divide, known as "replicative senescence." Therefore, scientists consider LTL a strong marker for "biological age," independent from when an individual was born.

Although the relationship between telomere length and disease is not fully understood, the build-up of these senescent cells is believed to contribute to a range of symptoms we associate with aging, such as frailty and age-related diseases.

Researchers from the University of Leicester have previously shown using UK Biobank that as little as 10 minutes of brisk walking a day is associated with longer life expectancy, and that brisk walkers have up to 20 years' greater life expectancy compared to slow walkers.

This new study demonstrates a causal link between brisk walking and telomere length and, significantly, not the other way around.

[goodnesswins]

Wow...they are telling my son a shoulder replacement he needs would only last 10-12 years

[gattaca]

Walking also helps with blood pressure. I have to go on long walks after watching what is happening to our country, especially the southern border. Walking helps calm me down.