Physiological Impact of Exercise on Aging

Exercise and Physiological Aging

• Exercise has a clear microscopic impact on DNA, cellular function, structure, and communication, and significantly affects aging effects in the body.
• Acute exercise acts as an aging stimulus, producing instances that mimic age-related dysfunction, but regular exercise can bring transient physiological stressors to induce positive changes.
• Decreases chronic physiological changes with age, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and muscle physiology.

Impact of Exercise on Skin

• Exercise improves skin structure and increases AMP-activated protein kinase, facilitating the release of interleukin-15, which improves tissue health.

Impact of Exercise on Immunity

• A single bout of exercise has positive effects, increasing leukocytes, white blood cells, and anti-pathogen activity, while chronic exercise decreases inflammation and oxidative stressors, leading to enhanced immune surveillance and competence.

Impact of Exercise on Neuroendocrine Function

• Exercise increases testosterone and DHEA levels, and insulin growth factor, while also increasing insulin sensitivity in high-intensity training.

Impact of Exercise on Metabolic Function

• Exercise decreases resistance to insulin in the periphery, increases metabolism of glucose and fatty acids, and decreases blood sugar levels, making it ideal for managing type 2 diabetes.

Impact of Exercise on Menopause

• Exercise counters the effects of decreased estrogen, activates the cycle, leading to increased endothelial cell nitric oxide synthesis, and plaque reversal and arterial remodeling.

Impact of Exercise on Renal Function

• Exercise reduces age-related decline in glomerular filtration rates and may prevent chronic kidney disease.

Impact of Exercise on Gastrointestinal Function

• Exercise increases the variety of gut microbiota, leading to increased bacterial diversity, and produces short-chain fatty acids, improving digestion, immunity, metabolism, and cardiovascular function.

Impact of Exercise on Upright Mobility

• Changes in motor control with aging affect somatosensory, musculoskeletal, and neurological systems, leading to deterioration in activation, initiation, and coordination.

Anticipated Changes in Gait Pattern

• Decreased gait velocity, shortened step length, increased step width, and double stance time are anticipated changes in gait pattern with aging.

Impact of Dual Tasking

• Dual tasking has a significant impact on gait velocity and swing time variability, especially in older adults with a history of falls.

Geriatric Screening

• Geriatric screening consists of four areas of health: physical, functional movement, cognitive, and psychosocial.
• The 4AT screening tool is useful for assessing cognitive health and identifying possible impairment or delirium.

Primary Care Screening

• Primary care screening for aging populations is essential for gathering information to guide targeted assessment and treatment.
• The Rapid Geriatric Assessment is a useful tool for identifying undiagnosed conditions and setting the stage for education, intervention, and prevention.

This quiz explores the effects of exercise on physiological aging, including its impact on cardiovascular, metabolic, and muscle physiology, as well as the acute and recovery phases of exercise.