Search

Increasing chronic disease rates in regional Australian communities necessitates innovative models of healthcare. We evaluated the efficacy of an interprofessional chronic disease program, delivered within a regional student-led nursing and allied health clinic in Southern Queensland, Australia. Changes to anthropometric, aerobic fitness and strength, and quality of life outcomes were examined at four time points spanning 16 months: intake, program transition (4 months), 6 and 12 months (post-transition). Our primary aim was to investigate whether the health improvements achieved during the program were sustained at 12 months in a subset of participants who provided complete data. Significant improvements were found in 6 of 11 measures, including the 6-minute walk test, grip strength, and self-reported quality of life across physical and psychosocial dimensions, with these improvements maintained to final review. No significant changes were found in body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fat mass, or muscle mass. This is the first health clinic in regional Australia to deliver a student-led model of interprofessional and collaborative service to tackle the increasing burden of chronic disease in the community. The cost-effectiveness of this service and other potential clinical and social benefits remain to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The concept of altitude training became popular among human athletes following the 1968 Olympic Games, at which African runners were particularly successful. Culminating from these observations was the concept that during exercise training, local tissue hypoxia is an important adaptive stress for muscle that ultimately leads to superior physiological adaptations and enhanced endurance performance. The application of the concept of hypoxic training to the Thoroughbred horse is new, and now, with purpose-built hypoxic chambers, there has been a growing interest in its use in equine training programs. This paper provides a comprehensive discussion on the physiological impacts of hypoxic training, its benefits to endurance performance, and a rationale for utilizing it to improve performance in the equine athlete. All exercise-induced training adaptations are governed by genetics. Exercise prescriptions can be tailored to elicit the desired physiological adaptations. Although the application of hypoxic stimuli on its own is not ideal to promote favorable molecular responses, exercise training under hypoxic conditions provides an optimal environment for maximizing physiological adaptations to enhance endurance performance. The combination of exercise training and hypoxia increases the activity of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway compared to training under normoxic conditions. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is known as a master regulator of the expression of genes since over 100 genes are responsive to HIF-1α. For instance, HIF-1-inducible genes include those critical to erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, glucose metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, and glucose transport, all of which are intergral in physiological adaptations for endurance performance. Further, hypoxic training could conceivably have a role in equine rehabilitation when high-impact training is contraindicated but a quality training stimulus is desired. This is achievable through purpose-built equine motorized treadmills inside commercial hypoxic chambers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coconut water is used as an alternative to conventional sports drinks for hydration during endurance cycling; however, evidence supporting its use is limited. This study determined if drinking coconut water compared to a sports drink altered cycling performance and physiology. In a randomized crossover trial, 19 experienced male (n = 15) and female (n = 4) cyclists (age 30 ± 9 years, body mass 79 ± 11 kg, V ̇ O2 peak 55 ± 8 mL·kg−1·min−1) completed two experimental trials, consuming either a commercially available sports drink or iso-calorific coconut water during 90 min of sub-maximal cycling at 70% of their peak power output, followed by a simulated, variable gradient, 20 km time trial. Blood glucose, lactate, sweat loss, and heart rate were monitored throughout the 90 min of sub-maximal cycling, as well as the time trial performance (seconds) and average power (watts). A repeated measures analysis of variance and effect sizes (Cohen's d) analysis were applied. There were no significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) between the treatments for any of the measured physiological or performance variables. Additionally, the effect size analysis showed only trivial (d ≤ 0.2) differences between the treatments for all the measured variables, except blood glucose, which was lower in the coconut water trial compared to the sports drink trial (d = 0.31). Consuming coconut water had a similar effect on the cycling time trial performance and the physiological responses to consuming a commercially available sports drink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional continuous training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can increase maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max). However, there is conflicting evidence regarding which form of training demonstrates the greatest improvements to V̇O2max , and data in women is sparse. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses to assess whether moderate to vigorous-intensity continuous training (MVICT) or HIIT was superior at improving V̇O2max in women. Randomised controlled and parallel studies examined the influence of MVICT and/or HIIT on V̇O2max in women. There was no statistical difference in V̇O2max improvements after training between women in the MVICT and HIIT cohorts (mean difference [MD]: −0.42, 95%CI: −1.43 to 0.60, p>0.05). Both MVICT and HIIT increased V̇O2max from baseline (MD: 3.20, 95% CI: 2.73 to 3.67 and MD: 3.16, 95% CI 2.09 to 4.24, respectively, p<0.001). Greater improvements in V̇O2max were observed in women who participated in more training sessions in both training formats. Long-HIIT was superior to short-HIIT protocols at increasing V̇O2max. Although MVICT and long-HIIT sessions elicited greater increases in V̇O2max in younger women compared to short-HIIT protocols, these differences were negligible in older women. Our findings suggest MVICT and HIIT are equally effective strategies for improving V̇O2max and indicate an effect of age on its response to training in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomerase preserves genomic integrity by maintaining and protecting the telomeres. Seminal findings from 1985 revealed the canonical role of telomerase and motivated investigations into potential therapeutic strategies to combat one of the hallmarks of ageing—telomere attrition. Since then, the field of telomere biology has rapidly expanded, with telomerase serving essential roles in cancer and cell development through its canonical function. However, telomerase also exerts critical extra‐telomeric functions through its protein (telomerase reverse transcriptase, TERT) and RNA components (telomerase RNA component, TERC). Telomerase re‐activation or ectopic expression promotes survival and permits unlimited proliferation in tumours and healthy non‐malignant cells. TERT gene therapies improve health and lifespan in ageing mice and mouse models of age‐related diseases. The extra‐telomeric functions of telomerase are critical to ageing. These include protection against oxidative stress, orchestration of chromatin modifications and transcription, and regulation of angiogenesis and metabolism (e.g. mitochondrial function and glucose control). Given these biological functions are key adaptations to endurance training and the recent meta‐analytical findings that indicate exercise up‐regulates TERT and telomerase, a comprehensive discussion on the implications of the canonical and extra‐telomeric roles of telomerase is warranted. This review highlights the therapeutic benefits of telomerase‐based treatments for idiopathic and chronic diseases that are linked to ageing. Discussion on the canonical and extra‐telomeric roles of telomerase are presented, followed by a detailed summary of the evidence on how exercise influences telomerase. Finally, the potential cell signalling underpinning the exercise‐induced modulation of telomerase are discussed with directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise training is one of the few therapeutic interventions that improves health span by delaying the onset of age-related diseases and preventing early death. The length of telomeres, the 5′-TTAGGG n -3′ tandem repeats at the ends of mammalian chromosomes, is one of the main indicators of biological age. Telomeres undergo shortening with each cellular division. This subsequently leads to alterations in the expression of several genes that encode vital proteins with critical functions in many tissues throughout the body, and ultimately impacts cardiovascular, immune and muscle physiology. The sub-telomeric DNA is comprised of heavily methylated, heterochromatin. Methylation and histone acetylation are two of the most well-studied examples of the epigenetic modifications that occur on histone proteins. DNA methylation is the type of epigenetic modification that alters gene expression without modifying gene sequence. Although diet, genetic predisposition and a healthy lifestyle seem to alter DNA methylation and telomere length (TL), recent evidence suggests that training status or physical fitness are some of the major factors that control DNA structural modifications. In fact, TL is positively associated with cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity level (sedentary, active, moderately trained, or elite) and training intensity, but is shorter in over-trained athletes. Similarly, somatic cells are vulnerable to exercise-induced epigenetic modification, including DNA methylation. Exercise-training load, however, depends on intensity and volume (duration and frequency). Training load-dependent responses in genomic profiles could underpin the discordant physiological and physical responses to exercise. In the current review, we will discuss the role of various forms of exercise training in the regulation of DNA damage, TL and DNA methylation status in humans, to provide an update on the influence exercise training has on biological aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horses (Equus ferus caballus) have evolved over the past 300 years in response to man‐made selection for particular athletic traits. Some of the selected traits were selected based on the size and horses' muscular power (eg Clydesdales), whereas other breeds were bred for peak running performance (eg Thoroughbred and Arabian). Although the physiological changes and some of the cellular adaptations responsible for athletic potential of horses have been identified, the molecular mechanisms are only just beginning to be comprehensively investigated. The purpose of this review was to outline and discuss the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the athletic performance and cardiorespiratory fitness in athletic breeds of horses. A brief review of the biology of epigenetics is provided, including discussion on DNA methylation, histone modifications and small RNAs, followed by a summary and critical review of the current work on the exercise‐induced epigenetic and transcriptional changes in horses. Important unanswered questions and currently unexplored areas that deserve attention are highlighted. Finally, a rationale for the analysis of epigenetic modifications in the context with exercise‐related traits and ailments associated with athletic breeds of horses is outlined in order to help guide future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex organisms rely heavily on intercellular communication. The rapidly expanding field of extracellular vesicle biology has made it clear that the necessary intercellular communication occurs partly through their paracrine and endocrine actions. Extracellular vesicles are nanoscale lipid membranes (30- 2,000 nm in diameter) that shuttle functional biological material between cells. They are released from numerous tissues and are isolated from nearly all biofluids and cell cultures. Although their biogenesis, cell targeting, and functional roles are incompletely understood, they appear to have crucial roles in physiological and disease processes. Their enormous potential to serve as sensitive biomarkers of disease and also new therapeutic interventions for diseases have gained them considerable attention in recent years. Regular physical exercise training confers systemic health benefits and consequently prevents many age-related degenerative diseases. Many of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the salubrious effects of exercise are known, yet a common underlying mechanism potentially responsible for the holistic health benefits of exercise has only recently been explored (i.e., via extracellular vesicle transport of biological material). Here, we provide an overview of extracellular vesicle biology before outlining the current evidence on the capacity for a single bout and chronic exercise to elicit changes in extracellular vesicle content and modulate their molecular cargo (e.g., small RNAs). We highlight areas for future research and emphasize their potential utility as biomarkers and therapeutic strategies of disease and its prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunosenescence is characterized by deterioration of the immune system caused by aging which induces changes to innate and adaptive immunity. Immunosenescence affects function and phenotype of immune cells, such as expression and function of receptors for immune cells which contributes to loss of immune function (chemotaxis, intracellular killing). Moreover, these alterations decrease the response to pathogens, which leads to several age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes in older individuals. Furthermore, increased risk of autoimmune disease and chronic infection is increased with an aging immune system, which is characterized by a pro-inflammatory environment, ultimately leading to accelerated biological aging. During the last century, sedentarism rose dramatically, with a concomitant increase in certain type of cancers (such as breast cancer, colon, or prostate cancer), and autoimmune disease. Numerous studies on physical activity and immunity, with focus on special populations (i.e., people with diabetes, HIV patients) demonstrate that chronic exercise enhances immunity. However, the majority of previous work has focused on either a pathological population or healthy young adults whilst research in elderly populations is scarce. Research conducted to date has primarily focused on aerobic and resistance exercise training and its effect on immunity. This review focuses on the potential for exercise training to affect the aging immune system. The concept is that some lifestyle strategies such as high-intensity exercise training may prevent disease through the attenuation of immunosenescence. In this context, we take a top-down approach and review the effect of exercise and training on immunological parameters in elderly at rest and during exercise in humans, and how they respond to different modes of training. We highlight the impact of these different exercise modes on immunological parameters, such as cytokine and lymphocyte concentration in elderly individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accounting for one in three cancer diagnoses, breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Exercise has a well-accepted role in the multi-disciplinary approach to rehabilitating breast cancer survivors. Despite the many known benefits of resistance training on women recovering from breast cancer, the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that have crucial roles in growth and development. Here, we analysed the abundance of 9 miRNAs, with known roles in muscle physiology and some linked to cancer, in serum samples from 24 breast cancer survivors before and after a 16-week resistance training or usual care intervention. The resistance training group completed supervised thrice-weekly training. miRNA abundance was assessed before and after the intervention period using qPCR. There were no statistically significant changes in any of the miRNAs between groups after the intervention period (all p > 0.05). After assessing miRNA abundance in context with high and low responders to resistance training, we observed that relative to low responders, high responders exhibited increased miR-133a-3p and a borderline statistically significant increase in miR-370-3p. Findings from our controlled study indicate the diverse interindividual miRNA responses to resistance training and reveal a discordant regulation between high and low responders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as important molecules for normal biological processes and are deregulated in disease. Exercise training is a powerful therapeutic strategy that prevents cardiometabolic disease and improves cardiorespiratory fitness and performance. Despite the known systemic health benefits of exercise training, the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Recent evidence suggests a role for epigenetic mechanisms, such as microRNAs, but whether other small ncRNAs are modulated by chronic exercise training is unknown. Here, we used small RNA sequencing to explore whether sprint interval training (SIT) controls the abundance of circulating small ncRNAs in human whole blood samples. Ten healthy men performed SIT three times a week for 6 weeks. After training, subjects showed marked improvements in maximal oxygen consumption and cycling performance with concurrent changes to the abundance of diverse species of circulating small ncRNAs (n = 1266 small ncRNAs, n = 13 microRNAs, q < 0.05). Twelve microRNAs altered by 6 weeks of SIT were ubiquitously expressed microRNAs and two regulated important signaling pathways, including p53, thyroid hormone and cell cycle signaling. MicroRNAs altered by 6 weeks of SIT were unchanged after a single session of SIT (n = 24, all P > 0.05). Relative to older individuals, younger subjects exhibited an increased acute SIT-induced fold change in miR-1301-3p (P = 0.02) - a microRNA predicted to target mRNAs involved in alternative splicing, phosphoprotein and chromosomal rearrangement processes (all P < 0.001). Our findings indicate many species of circulating small ncRNAs are modulated by exercise training and that they could control signaling pathways responsible for health benefits achieved from exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), have emerged as powerful post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression that play important roles in many developmental and biological processes. In this study, we assessed the abundance of circulating microRNAs important for skeletal muscle and heart adaptations to exercise (miR-1, miR-133a, miR-133b and miR-486), following acute exercise and short-term sprint interval training (SIT). Twenty-eight individuals completed four all-out efforts on a cycle ergometer, and donated blood before and 30 min after the cessation of exercise. A subset of 10 untrained men completed 4-6 efforts of SIT, three times a week for 6 weeks, and donated resting blood samples before and after the intervention. MiRNA TaqMan qPCR was performed and whilst no changes were observed after a single session of SIT (all p > 0.05), the 6-wk SIT intervention significantly reduced the whole blood content of all four miRNAs (mean fold-changes: 0.37-0.48, all p < 0.01). Our data suggests that circulating miRNAs are responsive to short-term SIT and could have roles in SIT-induced health and performance adaptations. Further work is required to establish whether circulating miRNAs could serve as biomarkers for predicting exercise training responses and monitoring exercise interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. Evidence indicating miRNAs influence exerciseinduced health and performance adaptations is mounting. Circulating miRNAs are responsible for intercellular communication and could serve as biomarkers for disease and exercise-related traits. Such biomarkers would contribute to exercise screening, monitoring, and the development of personalized exercise prescription. Accordingly, we investigated the impact of long-term strenuous aerobic exercise training and a single bout of maximal aerobic exercise on five muscle-enriched miRNAs implicated in exercise adaptations (miR-1, miR-133a, miR-181a, miR-486, and miR-494). We also determined linear correlations between miRNAs, resting heart rate, and maximum oxygen uptake (...O2max). We used TaqMan assay quantitative polymerase chain reaction to analyze the abundance of miR-1, miR-133a, miR-181a, miR-486, and miR-494 in resting whole blood of 67 endurance athletes and 61 healthy controls. Relative to controls, endurance athletes exhibited increased miR-1, miR-486, and miR-494 content (1.26- to 1.58-fold change, all p < 0.05). miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-486 were decreased immediately after maximal aerobic exercise (0.64- to 0.76-fold change, all p < 0.01) performed by 19 healthy, young men (20.7 - 2.4 years). Finally, we observed positive correlations between miRNA abundance and ...O2max (miR-1 and miR-486) and an inverse correlation between miR-486 and resting heart rate. Therefore, muscle-enriched miRNAs isolated from whole blood are regulated by acute and long-term aerobic exercise training and could serve as biomarkers of cardiorespiratory fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomeres are tandem repeat DNA sequences located at distal ends of chromosomes that protect against genomic DNA degradation and chromosomal instability. Excessive telomere shortening leads to cellular senescence and for this reason telomere length is a marker of biological age. Abnormally short telomeres may culminate in the manifestation of a number of cardio-metabolic diseases. Age-related cardio-metabolic diseases attributable to an inactive lifestyle, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, are associated with short leukocyte telomeres. Exercise training prevents and manages the symptoms of many cardio-metabolic diseases whilst concurrently maintaining telomere length. The positive relationship between exercise training, physical fitness and telomere length raises the possibility of a mediating role of telomeres in chronic disease prevention via exercise. Further elucidation of the underpinning molecular mechanisms of how exercise maintains telomere length should provide crucial information on how physical activity can be best structured to combat the chronic disease epidemic and improve the human health span. Here, we synthesise and discuss the current evidence on the impact of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on telomere dynamics. We provide the molecular mechanisms with a known role in exercise-induced telomere length maintenance and highlight unexplored, alternative pathways ripe for future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukocyte telomeres shorten with age, and excessive shortening is associated with age-related cardiometabolic diseases. Exercise training may prevent disease through telomere length maintenance although the optimal amount of exercise that attenuates telomere attrition is unknown. Furthermore, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the enhanced telomere maintenance observed in endurance athletes is poorly understood. We quantified the leukocyte telomere length and analyzed the expression of telomere-regulating genes in endurance athletes and healthy controls (both n = 61), using quantitative PCR. We found endurance athletes have significantly longer (7.1%, 208-416 nt) leukocyte telomeres and upregulated TERT (2.0-fold) and TPP1 (1.3-fold) mRNA expression compared with controls in age-adjusted analysis. The telomere length and telomere-regulating gene expression differences were no longer statistically significant after adjustment for resting heart rate and relative ... (all P > 0.05). Resting heart rate emerged as an independent predictor of leukocyte telomere length and TERT and TPP1 mRNA expression in stepwise regression models. To gauge whether volume of exercise was associated with leukocyte telomere length, we divided subjects into running and cycling tertiles (distance covered per week) and found individuals in the middle and highest tertiles had longer telomeres than individuals in the lowest tertile. These data emphasize the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise training in the prevention of biological aging. They also support the concept that moderate amounts of exercise training protects against biological aging, while higher amounts may not elicit additional benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the findings of a study which demonstrated that Sprint interval training (SIT) is a time-efficient means of improving cardiorespiratory fitness and 5-km endurance performance. The study concluded that shortterm SIT significantly improves 5-km run performance in untrained young men.

Physical exercise has proven cardiovascular benefits, yet there is no clear understanding of the related molecular mechanisms leading to this. Here we determined the beneficial epigenetic effects of exercise after sprint interval training, a form of exercise known to improve cardiometabolic health. We quantified genome-wide leukocyte DNA methylation of 12 healthy young (18-24 yr) men before and after 4 wk (thrice weekly) of sprint interval training using the 450K BeadChip (Illumina) and validated gene expression changes in an extra seven subjects. Exercise increased subjects' cardiorespiratory fitness and maximal running performance, and decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration in conjunction with genome-wide DNA methylation changes. Notably, many CpG island and gene promoter regions were demethylated after exercise, indicating increased genome-wide transcriptional changes. Among genes with DNA methylation changes, epidermal growth factor (EGF), a ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor known to be involved in cardiovascular disease, was demethylated and showed decreased mRNA expression. Additionally, we found that in microRNAs miR-21 and miR-210, gene DNA methylation was altered by exercise causing a cascade effect on the expression of the mature microRNA involved in cardiovascular function. Our findings demonstrate that exercise alters DNA methylation in circulating blood cells in microRNA and protein-coding genes associated with cardiovascular physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Telomere length is indicative of biological age. Shorter telomeres have been associated with several disease and health states. There are inconsistencies throughout the literature amongst relative telomere length measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and different extraction methods or kits used. We quantified whole-blood leukocyte telomere length using the telomere to single copy gene (T/S) ratio by qPCR in 20 young (18-25 yrs) men after extracting DNA using three common extraction methods: Lahiri and Nurnberger (high salt) method, PureLink Genomic DNA Mini kit (Life Technologies) and QiaAmp DNA Mini kit (Qiagen). Telomere length differences of DNA extracted from the three extraction methods was assessed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results DNA purity differed between extraction methods used (P = 0.01). Telomere length was impacted by the DNA extraction method used (P = 0.01). Telomeres extracted using the Lahiri and Nurnberger method (mean T/S ratio: 2.43, range: 1.57 - 3.02) and PureLink Genomic DNA Mini Kit (mean T/S ratio: 2.57, range: 2.24 - 2.80) did not differ (P = 0.13). Likewise, QiaAmp and Purelink-extracted telomeres were not statistically different (P = 0.14). The Lahiri-extracted telomeres, however, were significantly shorter than those extracted using the QiaAmp DNA Mini Kit (mean T/S ratio: 2.71, range: 2.32 - 3.02; P = 0.003). DNA purity was associated with telomere length. Conclusion There are discrepancies between the length of leukocyte telomeres extracted from the same individuals according to the DNA extraction method used. DNA purity could be responsible for the discrepancy in telomere length but this will require validation studies. We recommend using the same DNA extraction kit when quantifying leukocyte telomere length by qPCR or when comparing different cohorts to avoid erroneous associations between telomere length and traits of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere length is recognized as a marker of biological age, and shorter mean leukocyte telomere length is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It is unclear whether repeated exposure to ultra-endurance aerobic exercise is beneficial or detrimental in the long-term and whether it attenuates biological aging. We quantified 67 ultra-marathon runners’ and 56 apparently healthy males’ leukocyte telomere length (T/S ratio) using real-time quantitative PCR. The ultra-marathon runners had 11% longer telomeres (T/S ratio) than controls (ultra-marathon runners: T/S ratio = 3.5±0.68, controls: T/S ratio = 3.1±0.41; β = 0.40, SE = 0.10, P = 1.4×10−4) in age-adjusted analysis. The difference remained statistically significant after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors (P = 2.2×10−4). The magnitude of this association translates into 16.2±0.26 years difference in biological age and approximately 324–648bp difference in leukocyte telomere length between ultra-marathon runners and healthy controls. Neither traditional cardiovascular risk factors nor markers of inflammation/adhesion molecules explained the difference in leukocyte telomere length between ultra-marathon runners and controls. Taken together these data suggest that regular engagement in ultra-endurance aerobic exercise attenuates cellular aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Physical activity, endurance exercise and maximal aerobic fitness is associated with telomere length maintenance, yet the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. • Both a single bout of exercise and long-term exercise training increase TERT /telomerase activity. • Endurance athletes exhibited increased leukocyte TERT /telomerase activity compared to inactive controls. • Exercise training could preserve telomeres through telomerase upregulation to support healthy biological ageing. Telomeres protect genomic stability and shortening is one of the hallmarks of ageing. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is the major protein component of telomerase, which elongates telomeres. Given that short telomeres are linked to a host of chronic diseases and the therapeutic potential of telomerase-based therapies as treatments and a strategy to extend lifespan, lifestyle factors that increase TERT gene expression and telomerase activity could attenuate telomere attrition and contribute to healthy biological ageing. Physical activity and maximal aerobic fitness are associated with telomere maintenance, yet the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify the influence of a single bout of exercise and long-term exercise training on TERT expression and telomerase activity. A search of human and rodent trials using the PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Embase databases was performed. Based on findings from the identified and eligible trials, both a single bout of exercise (n; standardised mean difference [95%CI]: 5; SMD: 1.19 [0.41–1.97], p = 0.003) and long-term exercise training (10; 0.31 [0.03–0.60], p = 0.03) up-regulates TERT and telomerase activity in non-cancerous somatic cells. As human and rodent studies were included in the meta-analyses both exhibited heterogeneity (I2 = 55–87%, p < 0.05). Endurance athletes also exhibited increased leukocyte TERT and telomerase activity compared to their inactive counterparts. These findings suggest exercise training as an inexpensive lifestyle factor that increases TERT expression and telomerase activity. Regular exercise training could attenuate telomere attrition through a telomerase-dependent mechanism and ultimately extend health-span and longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomeres are genetically conserved repetitive terminal DNA that protect against genomic instability and shorten with ageing. Here, we reveal the leukocyte telomere length of Equus caballus by measuring terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) using Southern Blot analysis in a cohort of 43 Thoroughbred horses (age: 24 h–25 years). Heterogeneous TRFs were observed in each animal and large inter-animal variation in mean TRF was observed (range: 10.5–18.7 kbp). Mean TRFs were inversely correlated with age (r = −0.47). The estimated yearly rate of telomere attrition was 134 bp. Horses should be considered as an alternative animal model to investigate environmental and lifestyle factors that regulate telomeres and promote healthy ageing. • Thoroughbred horses (Equus Caballus) have average leukocyte telomere lenths ranging from 10.5–18.7 kbp. • Mean terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) are inversely correlated with age and shorten by ~134 bp each year. • Horses should be considered as an alternative animal model for studying telomere dynamics in context with ageing and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Functional threshold power (FTP) testing has become popular amongst recreational and elite athletes as it is related to anaerobic threshold and is endorsed by successful professional cyclists. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between FTP, maximum power achieved during incremental testing (Pmax) and maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O2max). METHODS: 40 healthy individuals completed an incremental test to exhaustion and V̇O2max was assessed by pulmonary analysis. On a separate day, individuals completed a 20-min sustained power output cycling test and FTP was calculated by subtracting 5% from the average power output. An additional cohort of 11 men completed a 6-wk exercise intervention. Their V̇O2max, FTP and Pmax were assessed before and after training. Two-tailed Pearson's correlations were used to determine linear relationships between V̇O2max and cycling power outputs. Stepwise regression models were used to establish predictors of V̇ O2max and FTP. Paired samples t-tests were used to establish changes in power outputs and V̇ O2max after training. RESULTS: Strong correlations were observed between FTP (W), V̇O2max (ml.kg-1.min-1) and Pmax (W) (all r > .80, all p < .001). While Pmax (W) explained 92.6% of the variance in FTP (W), age and FTP (W.kg-1) explained 80% of the variance in relative V̇ O2max. Regression models were generated and enabled us to estimate FTP and V̇O2max. Both FTP and V̇ O2max were improved after the 6-wk training intervention (8-13%, all p < .01). We found strong correlations between predicted and actual FTP and V̇ O2max values before and after the 6-wk training intervention (all r > .90, all p < .001). DISCUSSION: Our data suggests FTP can be predicted from maximum power output obtained during incremental testing and also that FTP relies heavily on the aerobic energy system. Additionally, an accurate estimate of V̇O2max can be generated by our regression equation that combines the average power output over a 20-min test with age. The prediction equations appear sensitive enough to accurately show improvements in power output and fitness conferred by short-term vigorous exercise. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Elite and recreational athletes may consider completing an incremental test to exhaustion, to save time and prevent a larger training load associated with FTP testing. This will also enable the quantification of other traditional physiological parameters, if necessary. Conversely, recreational athletes or general populations could complete a 20-min sustained power output test to obtain an estimate of V̇O2max, for tailored exercise prescription and fitness tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]