Scientists Reveal How Endurance Exercise Prevents Metabolic Disease

Scientists reveal how endurance exercise prevents metabolic disease

Endurance exercise affects genes associated with metabolic risk. The effect of strength training was weaker.

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A new study found that people who perform endurance exercise for many years have a lower risk of metabolic-related diseases. Scientists have found that this phenomenon is based on a change in the activity of a number of genes. Scientific work published in Cell Reports.

"It is known that short-term exercise programs can influence gene activity in muscles, but adherence to regular exercise throughout life is associated with long-term health benefits," said Mark Chapman, professor at the University of San Diego.), the lead author of the study.

Scientists analyzed in detail how the reading of information from genes in the muscles of 40 people has changed. Eighteen participants in the study were long-term endurance exercise instructors, 7 were strength training instructors, and 15 were in the control group (not involved in sports).

Using RNA sequencing, scientists tracked the activity of more than 20,000 genes. To do this, they performed muscle biopsies of all study participants. It turned out that long-term endurance exercise is associated with a significant change in the expression (reading intensity) of about 1,000 genes. Those who preferred strength training did not find such an expressive effect.

"Research shows that genes that respond to exercise may play a role in metabolic disease," Carl Johan Sundberg, a professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, told New Atlas., co-author of the study.

The researchers also analyzed data from previous studies in which diabetic patients underwent 6-12-month courses of endurance exercise. It turned out that even short courses of exercise significantly affect the activity of genes that are associated with disease. The changes in genes in such cases are similar to those observed after many years of training.

“This suggests that even short exercise programs (6-12 months) can significantly affect the health of people who suffer from metabolic disorders,” says Sundberg.

Other studies do not suggest that strength training is less beneficial for metabolism than endurance exercise. But scientists speculate that the effects of strength training on genes are short-lived.