While most people know exercise boosts health, the reasons are often unclear. New research has pinpointed a protein called CLCF1, which is crucial for exercise's benefits. During physical activity, muscles release CLCF1, which strengthens muscles and bones while slowing musculoskeletal aging.
Researchers discovered CLCF1's role by examining gene activity in muscle samples from people of varying ages before and after exercise. They found that young individuals naturally produce high levels of CLCF1 during workouts, while older adults generate significantly less.
CLCF1 is crucial as it supports both muscle and bone health simultaneously. CLCF1 levels drop with age and tissues weaken, increasing the risk of frailty, falls, and fractures. Exercise can boost them back to youthful levels, especially resistance training by flooding the bloodstream with this protein, helping to reverse certain age-related declines in muscle and bone health.
In studies with aged mice, administering CLCF1 increased muscle strength and bone density. Conversely, when CLCF1 was inhibited, exercise provided no benefits, confirming the protein's essential role in the body's reaction to physical activity.
Additional research revealed that CLCF1 boosts mitochondrial activity in muscle cells, inhibits bone-breaking cell formation, and promotes bone-forming osteoblast differentiation. This offers the first scientific evidence connecting altered protein secretion to the reduced benefits of exercise in aging individuals.
This study emphasizes the importance of integrating physical activities like resistance training and high-intensity workouts into our lives as we age. These exercises increase CLCF1 levels, promoting healthier aging.
Although therapies based on this research are still years away, these findings underscore the critical importance of maintaining physical activity throughout life. They indicate that resistance training and high-intensity exercise are especially effective for promoting healthy aging.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Exercise-induced CLCF1 attenuates age-related muscle and bone decline in mice
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