Receive Anti-Aging Benefits with Exercise

(NaturalNews) According to a new study, funded by The German Research Association and the University of Saarland, and published in "Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association," intense exercise acts to help prevent the shortening of telomeres. The gradual shortening of telomeres through cell divisions leads to aging at the cellular level. The study findings were released online Nov. 30, 2009 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of "Circulation". It follows up on the work done by Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak, who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine for their work in showing how during cell division, telomere length is shortened.

Telomeres are the protective ends of chromosomes. They have been compared to sort of a plastic tip found at the end of a shoelace that over time becomes worn and frayed with every cell division. When the telomeres become critically short, the cell undergoes death. Short telomeres limit the number of cell divisions.

In this clinical study, blood samples were taken from two groups of professional athletes and two groups who were healthy nonsmokers but not regular exercisers. Professional runners from the German National Team of Track and Field were evaluated against nonsmokers who were healthy but did not work out regularly.

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