It is well known that regular physical exercise...Reduced risk of many chronic diseases. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms are still not fully understood by science. Recently, researchers at the University of Copenhagen discovered that the positive effects of exercise are partly due to changes in the structure of human DNA. Scientists call these changes epigenetic.
Regular physical exercise against chronic illnesses
Deoxyribonucleic acid, also called DNA, is the molecular instructions found in all cells. Some sections of human DNA are genes that provide instructions for building proteins. Other sections, known as enhancers, regulate which genes turn on or off, when, and in which tissue. The study authors found for the first time that exercise rewires amplifiers in regions of DNA. These are known to be associated with the risk of disease. The study results revealed a mechanism for the known positive effects of physical exercise. By linking each enhancer to a gene, the researchers also provided a list of direct targets that could mediate this effect. In addition, physical exercise improves the health of organs, including the brain.
The scientists found that after completing a training program, the structure of DNA in the skeletal muscles of young men changed. The authors suggest that the beneficial effects of exercise on organs such as the brain are largely mediated through the regulation of muscle factor secretion. In particular, they found that training theActivity in skeletal muscles, which is associated with cognitive abilities, reshaped. This allows identification of exercise-induced secreted muscle factors that target the brain. The data outthis studydemonstrate a functional link between epigenetic rewiring of enhancers to control their activity after exercise and the modulation of disease risk in humans.
