We all know that working out can alter your physical appearance, but did you know that it can also alter your DNA?
A recent study published in the March 2012 issue of Cell Metabolism shows that high intensity exercise can change the chemical tagging of your DNA, activating genes responsible for burning lipids and glucose. In the study, researchers examined 14 participants before and after they rode to exhaustion on an exercise bike. The scientists then took thigh-muscle tissue samples of the riders and noticed that when participants worked out at high intensity (80% of their maximum aerobic capacity) there was a diminished presence of chemicals known as methyl groups. The disappearance of these methyl groups allowed other proteins – specifically proteins that support the metabolism of sugar and fat – to show themselves. The appearance of these proteins basically tells your body to go into fat-burning mode. However, when the participants exercised at low-intensity (40% of their maximum aerobic capacity), scientists detected more methyl than when they rode at high capacity. Continue reading Study Shows High-Intensity Exercise Can Alter DNA