Posted on 07/31/2013 10:02:54 PM PDT by neverdem
Exercise promotes health, reducing most peoples risks of developing diabetes and growing obese. But just how, at a cellular level, exercise performs this beneficial magic what physiological steps are involved and in what order remains mysterious to a surprising degree.
Several striking new studies, however, provide some clarity by showing that exercise seems able to drastically alter how genes operate.
Genes are, of course, not static. They turn on or off, depending on what biochemical signals they receive from elsewhere in the body. When they are turned on, genes express various proteins that, in turn, prompt a range of physiological actions in the body.
One powerful means of affecting gene activity involves a process called methylation, in which methyl groups, a cluster of carbon and hydrogen atoms, attach to the outside of a gene and make it easier or harder for that gene to receive and respond to messages from the body. In this way, the behavior of the gene is changed, but not the fundamental structure of the gene itself. Remarkably, these methylation patterns can be passed on to offspring a phenomenon known as epigenetics.
What is particularly fascinating about the methylation process is that it seems to be driven largely by how you live your life. Many recent studies have found that diet, for instance, notably affects the methylation of genes, and scientists working in this area suspect that differing genetic methylation patterns resulting from differing diets may partly determine whether someone develops diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
But the role of physical activity in gene methylation has been poorly understood, even though exercise, like diet, greatly changes the body. So several groups of scientists recently set out to determine what working out does to the exterior of our genes.
The answer, their recently published...
(Excerpt) Read more at well.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Acute exercise remodels promoter methylation in human skeletal muscle.
Pretty darned interesting, Neverdem. I better start exercising again.
Great article. It looks like life itself depends upon our exercise. This is terrific information and totally consistent with what I have been teaching for years as a diabetes educator. Now, if people would just believe it and act on it!
Bkmk
I’ve been told that death stalks at around 2.5 mph. If you can walk at least that fast, you’ll stay ahead of him.
Excellent!
I would add, have the burger, but not the fries.
BTTT
It's interesting that you perceive death as a male. I'm used to taking it for a female.
That be racisss...........
I like to do yoga.
You put your arm or leg in the air and hold it there.
Screw that tiring bend it back and forth stuff.
So does Marvel Comics. Just ask Thanos . . .
Smoking is an exercise, too ya know
great. thanks for posting.
bookmark
This article and study are obviously part of a conspiracy from the health and fitness lobby trying to trick people into buying their products. Just go back inside and sit down and don’t buy the hype. Look at all the great people who don’t exercise at all. Buddha. Jabba the Hutt. Michael Moore... errr, uh, wait.
Wanna read later....muy interesante.
Bump.
I just started body for life this week... I am dying.
Wifey is doing it with me, although she doesn’t have far to go... I married well!
This is from the New York times. There’s likely not a word in it that’s true.
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