DNA changes with exercise?!?

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lizard053
lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
in Chit-Chat
Really cool article. Very science geek beyond the earliest part, but fascinating all the same!
http://www.nature.com/news/a-trip-to-the-gym-alters-dna-1.10176

Apparently, exercise changes the genes that help control metabolism in our body! Caffeine can induce the same effect. Just another reason to hit the gym!

And converse! :bigsmile:

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  • purpletrillium
    purpletrillium Posts: 124
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    Interesting. I wonder then if calcium is even more important for exercise, since it is necessary for the process.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    Me too. I think that's why the milk commercials were promoting drinking more milk to help with weight loss!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    Really cool article. Very science geek beyond the earliest part, but fascinating all the same!
    http://www.nature.com/news/a-trip-to-the-gym-alters-dna-1.10176

    Apparently, exercise changes the genes that help control metabolism in our body! Caffeine can induce the same effect. Just another reason to hit the coffee!

    And converse! :bigsmile:

    Hmm.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    Bump.

    Opinions, thoughts, comments?
  • alecta337
    alecta337 Posts: 622 Member
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    I think that the title is kind of misleading. Your actual DNA can not be changed, unless through mutation. The process of demethylation is not changing your actual DNA, only the genes that are transcribed (turned into genes). I actually just learned about methylation and acetylation in my cell and molecular physiology class.

    This is pretty cool research. I am going to forward it to some of my friends in my cell phys class. =]
  • karisma81
    karisma81 Posts: 71 Member
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    As a biochemist, I believe that we've barely scratched the surface in terms of health knowledge butt I love when science catches up to our gut feeling. I can definitely believe that when you start working out your muscles, the expression of energy metabolism genes will change. It's great that they found that this probably happens through demethylation but this doesn't have practical consequences for us yet. Also, if you stop exercising for a bit, those genes will probably become methylated again.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    As a biochemist, I believe that we've barely scratched the surface in terms of health knowledge butt I love when science catches up to our gut feeling. I can definitely believe that when you start working out your muscles, the expression of energy metabolism genes will change. It's great that they found that this probably happens through demethylation but this doesn't have practical consequences for us yet. Also, if you stop exercising for a bit, those genes will probably become methylated again.
    Absolutely. It is pretty cool to see that exercise has an impact at the genetic level all the same!
    I think that the title is kind of misleading. Your actual DNA can not be changed, unless through mutation. The process of demethylation is not changing your actual DNA, only the genes that are transcribed (turned into genes). I actually just learned about methylation and acetylation in my cell and molecular physiology class.

    This is pretty cool research. I am going to forward it to some of my friends in my cell phys class. =]
    True, the DNA isn't changing exactly, it's structure is changing. The genetic makeup is entirely unchanged, how it is used does change.
  • karisma81
    karisma81 Posts: 71 Member
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    Maybe "reversible modification" is less misleading than "change" :-)
  • lisaslim1976
    lisaslim1976 Posts: 145
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    load of bo**ocks :-)
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    Maybe "reversible modification" is less misleading than "change" :-)
    Semantics! LOL. I would agree with reversible modification, would be less misleading. Then again, this is one of those Nature papers meant for everyone, including non-scientists, to read, therefore the work choice "change" works better. :wink:
  • Ambr
    Ambr Posts: 53 Member
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    Very interestinggg, thanks for sharing

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