Human health is dependent on fat tissues. They lose function as people age, which can contribute to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and other illnesses. According to studies conducted at the University of Copenhagen, high levels of lifelong exercise have the ability to reverse this decline. Biologists investigated the link between ageing, exercise, and fat tissue function in Danish males. ‘The Journals of Gerontology’ published the study.
How well does your fat work for you? This isn’t a question that is frequently asked. Nonetheless, new research has revealed that the function of our fat tissue, or adipose tissue, is critical to why our bodies age and is strongly associated to human diseases like diabetes 2 and cancer, as obesity is common and fat cells undergo functional changes as we age. As a result, our overall health is determined not just by the amount of fat we carry, but also by how well our fat tissue performs.
Even while our fatty tissue loses crucial function as we age, a large volume of exercise can have a major impact for the better, according to a study led by the University of Copenhagen. “How well our fat tissue performs has a direct impact on our overall health. We used to think of fat as a source of energy. Fat is, in reality, an organ that interacts with other organs to improve metabolic performance. When we are hungry, adipose tissue releases molecules that alter muscle and brain metabolism, among other things. As a result, it’s critical that fat tissue functions properly “According to Assistant Professor Anders Gudiksen of the Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen.
Gudiksen and his colleagues investigated the role of age and physical activity in fat tissues function. They focused on mitochondria, which are tiny power plants found within fat cells. Mitochondria use calories from food to provide energy to cells. Cells must work optimally in order to maintain life processes. The researchers assessed mitochondrial functioning in young and older Danish males who were untrained, moderately trained, and highly exercised. The findings show that mitochondria’s ability to respire — that is, produce energy — declines with age, regardless of how much a person exercises.
Anders Gudiksen, on the other hand, noted, “Despite the fact that mitochondrial activity declines with age, a high level of lifelong exercise has a substantial compensatory effect. Fat tissues in well-trained older men can breathe more than twice as much as fat tissues in unskilled older men.” Mitochondria produce waste in the same way that a car engine does when converting chemicals to useable energy. ROS, or oxygen free radicals, are a type of mitochondrial waste (Reactive Oxygen Species). ROS that isn’t removed damages cells, and it’s currently thought that high levels of ROS can lead to cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. As a result, ROS control is critical.
“The group of elderly individuals who train the most produces less ROS and maintains functionality, allowing it to be eliminated. Their mitochondria are indeed better at handling waste produced in fat tissues, resulting in less damage. As a result, exercise has a significant impact on fat tissue health and, as a result, on the prevention of certain diseases “Gudiksen stated. The researchers can also see that the older volunteers who exercised the most throughout their lives have more mitochondria, which allows for higher respiration and, among other things, the release of more fat-related hormones that are vital for the body’s energy balance.
“Our results show that you can actually train your fat tissues to a very high degree — but that you needn’t cycle 200km a week to achieve a positive effect. What you shouldn’t do, is do nothing at all,” concluded Anders Gudiksen, who hopes that the research world will focus more on what people can do to maintain the health of their fat tissues. “Our findings suggest that you may effectively exercise your fat tissue, and that you don’t need to cycle 200 kilometres per week to see effects. You should avoid doing nothing at all “Anders Gudiksen, who expects that study will focus more on what people can do to keep their adipose tissue healthy, concluded.
