Ten biomarkers of aging
NEWS:
By Clive Lindley-Jones | April 13, 2010 11:51 am
Research at Tufts University in Boston at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre and outlined in their book Biomarkers by Dr.s Evans and Rosenberg found that there were ten key biomarkers all of which could be affected positively with greater physical fitness, particularly better muscle to fat ratio that comes with strength training. These were:
1. BONE DENSITY – Calcium tends to be lost from bones with age, making the skeleton weaker, less dense, and more brittle. This can result in osteoporosis.
2. BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATION – The body’s ability to maintain a steady internal temperature on 98.6 degrees declines with age, making older people more vulnerable to both hot and cold weather.
3. BASAL METABOLIC RATE – The body’s metabolic rate – how many calories it needs to sustain itself – declines by 2% per decade after age 20.
4. BLOOD-SUGAR TOLERANCE – The body’s ability to use glucose in the bloodstream declines with age, raising the risk for Type II Diabetes.
5. STRENGTH OF MUSCLES – Older people are less strong because of the gradual deterioration of muscles and motor nerves, which begins at age 30.
6. FAT CONTENT IN THE BODY – Between the ages of 20 and 65, the average person doubles his ratio of fat to muscle; this process is exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle and/or overeating.
7. AEROBIC CAPACITY – By age 65, the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently declines by 30-40%.
8. CHOLESTEROL/HDL RATIO – Around age 50, the “good” HDL cholesterol that protects the body against heart disease loses ground to the “bad” LDL cholesterol that increases heart-attack risk.
9. MUSCLE MASS – The average American loses 6.6 pounds of muscle with each decade after young adulthood; the rate of loss increases after age 45.
10. BLOOD PRESSURE – The majority of Americans show a steady increase of blood pressure with age.
*The one and only activity that has been proven to reverse (not slow or stop) all ten biomarkers of aging are basic weight training movements.