A recent study completed by the University of Hamilton Ontario, Canada by professor Mark Tarnopolsky has reaffirmed what we iron warriors always believed, weight training may be turning back the clock. His study was on the effects of weight training upon individuals with specific conditions that interfered with the activity of their mitochondria (the powerhouse for energy in the human body) and how using weights and in some instances taking creatine reverses some of the damaging effects of their conditions.
Uncovering the Holy Grail
What Professor Tarnopolsky uncovered was that the mitochondria is the very heart of the ageing process and reversing the damage that occurs at this microbiological level may be the way forward to reversing the ageing process or at least slowing it down. What was found to be the most effective was weight training, apparently as we age the condition called sarcopenia begins to effect us, stringy muscles and eventually the inability to maintain posture and ultimately institutionalized.
DNA and mitochondria
Scientists to identify the role of our ageing mitochondria produced knockout mice (breed with a specific defect or gene removed), these mice had damaged mitochondria, their inability to repair themselves (mitochondria) saw the mice age prematurely, proving that the mitochondria plays a very important part in ageing and DNA.
Regenerating the muscle and reversing ageing
It was found that we can regenerate our muscle by tearing it down with weight training, weight training causes muscle tissue damage that is repaired and that’s why we have growth . Not only does the muscle increase in size (hypertrophy) but the mitochondria and muscle satellite cells produce new muscle, the analogy used was rebooting the old muscle.
Training for youth
So it would seem that pumping iron is more than vanity and being buffed it’s a quintessential ingredient in maintaining the health and longevity of our mitochondria and ultimately prolonging our youth. The next time you curl a few kilos and your bicep starts to grow think a little deeper your mitochondria is also renewing not only your muscle but also your DNA.
