Lower Rates of Epigenetic Aging in Olympic Champions

A recent investigation into the epigenetic aging rates of Hungarian Olympic champions has brought to light intriguing results regarding the long-term effects of intensive physical training. This study, published in GeroScience, examined the correlation between high levels of physical activity and the biological aging process. The researchers aimed to understand whether elite athletes showcase a slower epigenetic aging compared to non-athletes.

Exercising Your Way to Longevity

It is widely recognized that regular exercise can mitigate various aging-associated diseases and molecular changes. Previous investigations have demonstrated that exercise positively influences physiological health, improves mental well-being, and may even extend lifespan.

  • Impact on Biomarkers: Exercise affects several key biological markers associated with aging.
  • Reduction of Inflammation: Regular physical activity is linked to lower levels of systemic inflammation.
  • Muscle Preservation: Resistance training helps maintain muscle mass, crucial for longevity.

Previous research has established that engaging in moderate exercise benefits health. However, professional athletes often engage in rigorous training from a young age, leading to a desire to explore how such long-term and intense physical training might influence the epigenomic landscape, particularly regarding DNA methylation.

Olympians’ Decreased Age Acceleration

The study recruited a diverse group of participants including 59 Hungarian Olympic gold medalists (10 females and 49 males) and 329 controls (161 females and 168 males). The age range of participants spanned between 24 and 101 years, with Olympians having a mean age of 53 for females and 52 for males, while the control group's mean age was 60 for females and 58 for males.

The researchers employed multiple epigenetic clocks to measure the epigenetic age of the participants. Notably, the Hannum and Skin-Blood clocks indicated significantly decreased epigenetic age acceleration among female Olympic champions compared to their non-champion counterparts. Similarly, male Olympic champions exhibited reduced age acceleration as indicated by the Skin-Blood and PhenoAge clocks.

Furthermore, the study noted that the age-adjusted DNAm telomere length was greater in Olympic champions than in non-champions, supporting the hypothesis of a slower biological aging process among elite athletes.

Sex-Specific Age Acceleration Patterns

Recognizing that elite athletes often maintain peak performance during their medal-winning years, the researchers classified the athletes into two categories:

  • Recent Medalists: Those who achieved recognition within the last ten years.
  • Past Medalists: Those who earned medals more than ten years prior to blood sampling.

Analysis revealed that male champions in the recent medalists’ group demonstrated significantly lower epigenetic age acceleration compared to past medalists. In contrast, female champions experienced higher age acceleration in the recent medalists’ group, highlighting differing patterns based on sex.

The Sport Matters

The influence of specific sports disciplines on epigenetic aging reveals another layer of complexity. The researchers scrutinized age acceleration across sports with at least three champions represented:

Sport Age Acceleration Effect
Wrestling Significantly higher age acceleration
Gymnastics Lower age acceleration
Fencing Lower age acceleration
Water Polo Lower age acceleration

While this analysis did note differences among male athletes, the researchers cautioned against making strong conclusions due to the limited sample size. Factors such as training regimens, nutritional practices, weight management, and educational backgrounds may contribute to these variations.

The Cellular Level

By delving deeper into the data, the study analyzed methylation levels of CpG sites associated with gene promoters. Among their findings were:

  • Hypomethylated Genes: The Olympians showed hypomethylation in genes regulating complex cellular processes.
  • Hypermethylated Genes: These genes corresponded to functions like tumor suppression and telomere maintenance.

Long-Lasting Effects

The researchers concluded that the evidence suggests long-term exercise instigates lasting epigenetic modifications. They referenced previous studies indicating that lifestyle habits during youth can leave lasting impacts on adult DNA methylation patterns. As Olympic champions often begin training early and continue through adolescence, these experiences likely induce persistent benefits to their epigenomic profiles, even after training concludes.

For more detailed discussions and findings, please refer to the original publication: Lifespan.io

Literature Cited

[1] Radák, Z., et al. (2024). Slowed epigenetic aging in Olympic champions compared to non-champions. GeroScience, 10.1007/s11357-024-01440-5. Advance online publication.

[2] de Vocht, F., et al. (2018). DNA methylation from birth to late adolescence and development of multiple-risk behaviours. Journal of Affective Disorders, 227, 588–594.

[3] Kankaanpää, A., et al. (2022). The role of adolescent lifestyle habits in biological aging: A prospective twin study. eLife, 11, e80729.

[4] Lifespan.io