Research
Adherence
Regular physical exercise is associated with elevated telomerase activity, reduced oxidative stress, and slower telomere shortening, thereby preserving leukocyte telomere length.
Engage in regular physical exercise to help preserve telomere length and reduce oxidative stress.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Exercise seems to be associated with reduced oxidative stress and elevated expression of telomere stabilizing proteins and may therefore reduce the pace of aging and age-associated diseases.
Why this rating
Supported by studies in both mice and humans, showing elevated telomerase activity in athletes.
Source
Telomeres, lifestyle, cancer, and aging
Masood A. Shammas · Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care · 2010
DOI 10.1097/mco.0b013e32834121b1
narrative_reviewCited 698×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Lifestyle factors including smoking, obesity, stress, and pollution accelerate telomere shortening, thereby increasing the pace of biological aging and the risk of age-associated diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.Good
- Dietary interventions including high fiber, antioxidant-rich foods (omega-3, vitamins C and E), soy protein, and dietary restriction can reduce the rate of telomere shortening and preserve telomere length.Good
- Psychological stress accelerates telomere shortening through increased oxidative stress and reduced telomerase activity, effectively aging cells by approximately 10 years compared to non-stressed individuals.Good
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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