8 ms·

How exercise in old age prevents the immune system from declining

225 points by Luc 9y ago

Luc 9y ago
The publication this is based on is open access: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12750/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12750/full
Agebor 9y ago
- is it correlation or causation? - could the causation be in the other direction? You always need to ask these questions. Perhaps senior people who have immune systems as 20-year olds, are much more likely to cycle in old age. Or there is some other reason that causes both.
- wukerplank 9y ago
  Does it matter that much? Just be active for as long as possible and reap the benefits of fit muscles and a stronger heart. Purely anecdotal: My grandfather is nearing 90 and still jumps on his indoor bike every day. Last winter he fell (due to ice) and got away with a few bruises. For other people his age this kind of fall could have meant a broken hip. He had two heart attacks when he was around 60 and a life long lung disease - far away from the immune system (or health) of a 20-year old.
  - OldSchoolJohnny 9y ago
    Does it matter? Of course logic and keeping it real matters unless you want to be ruled by superstition all your life.
    - wukerplank 9y ago
      I don't think the positive effects daily cardio are superstition.
  - nmeofthestate 9y ago
    Of course it matters. If the old cyclists are just genetically superior, then prescribing 100 mile bike rides to frail old people might be damaging, rather than transforming them into disease-resistant superhumans.
    - nradov 9y ago
      Don't be ridiculous. No physician or trainer would prescribe a century ride to a frail old person. That's something you have to work up to. But if they start with something easier then some of them will eventually stop being frail, and start being capable of completing long rides.
    - wukerplank 9y ago
      Why would you prescribe a 100 mile ride to an old person? My point was that living a long and fairly healthy life is a day to day project, not a pill you take once you hit 70.
DoreenMichele 9y ago
A different study found that intense exercise reverses aging at the cellular level: http://www.health.com/fitness/anti-aging-hiit-workout http://www.health.com/fitness/anti-aging-hiit-workout The body process lymph several times more efficiently while active. This is how the body removes wastes from tissues. Seems to me that would be pertinent.
reasonattlm 9y ago
Publicity materials: https://theconversation.com/exercise-can-slow-the-ageing-process-a-professor-explains-how-93020 https://theconversation.com/exercise-can-slow-the-ageing-pro... Paper: https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12750 https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12750 This age of biotechnology is also an age of comparative indolence and comfort. As the research community measures specific biochemical aspects of aging, such as the decline of the cardiovascular system, or metrics relating to immunosenescence in the immune system, we might question the degree to which the results are peculiar to our era. How much of aging is the result of our choices - to eat more and exercise less than our ancestors - rather than the result of inexorable processes of biochemical damage that we, as yet, have little influence over? (Conversely, how much of past aging was due to infectious disease, malnutrition, and other adverse external circumstances that are controlled to a much greater degree today?) This topic crops up fairly often in research into the effects of exercise on health, and the research noted here is a particularly striking example of the type. The study authors find that the age-related decline of new T cells maturing in the thymus is negligible in some people, those who exercise much more than the rest of us. This diminished supply of new T cells is thought to be an important component of immune system aging, and the failure of the immune system is very influential over many other aspects of aging: senescent cell accumulation, frailty, loss of regenerative capacity, chronic inflammation, cancer risk, and so on. Yet when we look at the demographic evidence for spread of life span based on exercise, it appears to be, at most, 6 or 7 years (with a much larger divergence when it comes to state of health over time). What does this tell us about the likely gains resulting from rejuvenation therapies seeking to regenerate the thymus? Less than we would like, I suspect, and not just because it is hard to evaluate any one contribution to aging in isolation of all of the others. The thymus atrophies over adult life, with active tissue necessary for the production of T cells being replaced by fat. The first major loss of active thymic tissue occurs at the end of childhood, however, in a process known as involution. Immune cells are generated at a tremendous rate in children in comparison to young adults; evolution selected for a system that would be highly effective at the outset, at the cost of later issues. When it is observed that old people in their 60s and 70s who maintained a high level of fitness throughout life exhibit much the same thymic output as young people in their 20s, that tells us little regarding the outcome were the thymus restored to the same level of active tissue as is present in children. Only a mild restoration, to move thymic activity from typical aged to typical young adult, would be comparable - and why would we stop there?
aacook 9y ago
I've been working on a product to help families stay more connected with the elderly people in their lives, https://nanagram.co https://nanagram.co. In addition to spending a solid amount of time w/ my 94-year-old Grandpa the past couple years the project has been a fascinating journey learning about life after 80. It's so awesome to see an 82 year old guy on his road bike in the video on this article! Susan Pinker has a fascinating Ted talk on the secret to a long life. For years I'd always assumed things like diet and exercise would be the top factors. But according to Pinker social integration is the top factor, even higher than drinking and smoking (which, somehow, are higher than exercise). https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_pinker_the_secret_to_living_longer_may_be_your_social_life https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_pinker_the_secret_to_living_... This study is about endurance cyclists, showing them riding in social groups. Is exercise really the top factor here? Or is it riding in social groups? Maybe it's a combination of both. I've seen the impact regular exercise can have on my own physical and mental health and on my Grandpa's. Past age 90, exercise can become a real challenge. At this stage, my Grandpa has a couple in-home nurses who visit and help him complete various exercises each week, lifting his arms above his head, moving his legs, etc. Other than that, I try and visit him as often as possible. We do simple things, like shop for groceries together, to keep him moving. One of the most eye opening experiences for me on old age was about 18 months ago just after my Grandpa stopped driving at age 93. I started visiting him more and we began a genealogy project of sorts. At first his memory wasn't so great. But after a month or so of regular visits, it was like a fire was ignited. All of the sudden he was reciting incredible facts and figures about the past. He kept up with all the little details in my life better than many of the people I know in my 30s. And there was a new pep in his step. It's rare to live past 90. I'm grateful for every day I get with my grandparents, both 94 and under 30min from me. If you have an older person in your life, I encourage making as much time as possible to visit. There's so much you can learn from them and your visits can have a positive impact on their life too.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
known 9y ago
Metformin acts on a number of hormone receptors which are also affected by Calorie Restriction for long and cancer free life https://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21704788-fight-cheat-death-hotting-up-adding-ages https://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21704788-fight-cheat...
scottrogers 9y ago
On a 5 hr bike ride your body is going to go into a similar state as intermittent fasting with all your glycogen being burned off. Similar to fasting this frees up energy and allows the garbage in your system to be burned off.
- dominotw 9y ago
  > garbage in your system What precisely is this?
  - rimliu 9y ago
    Garbage statement. Your body is not an incinerator. Kidneys and liver take care of the garbage.
  - OldSchoolJohnny 9y ago
    Lymphatic system, which operates during movement.
- michaelcampbell 9y ago
  I do a ~24 hour fast weekly, and a LOT of sites go into this "burning off garbage" or "toxin cleaning" rhetoric which always puts me in "bullshit warning" mode. Is there actual science behind these claims?
  - jryan49 9y ago
    The only thing I've read that doesn't completely fire off my "bullshit warning mode" is something like "fasting can enable stem cells, and have immune system destroy old cells" like explained here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/12/fasting-for-three-days-can-regenerate-entire-immune-system-study/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/12/fasting-for-t... Still seems a little too "high level" to actually believe though. In any case, I still do IF by skipping breakfast, mostly because I'm lazy, and after fasting for so many years hunger doesn't really bother me that much.
  - RBerenguel 9y ago
reasonattlm 9y ago
Given that this study focuses on declining naive T cell production and thymic tissue loss, it is interesting to look at another recent study that suggests these losses are the dominant cause of increased cancer rates with age. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1714478115 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1714478115 T cells develop from hematopoietic stem cells as part of the lymphoid lineage and have the ability to detect foreign antigens and neoantigens arising from cancer cells. In the thymus, lymphoid progenitors commit to a specific T cell receptor and undergo selection events that screen against self-reactivity. Cells that pass these selection gates then leave the thymus, clonally expanding to form the patrolling naive T cell pool. The vast majority of vertebrates experience thymic involution (or atrophy) in which thymic epithelial tissue is replaced with adipose tissue, resulting in decreasing T cell export from the thymus. In humans, this is thought to begin as early as 1 year of age. The rate of thymic T cell production is estimated to decline exponentially over time with a half-life of ∼15.7 years. Declining production of new naive T cells is thought to be a significant component of immunosenescence, the age-related decline in immune system function. With the recent successes of T cell-based immunotherapies, it is timely to assess how thymic involution may affect cancer and infectious disease incidence. It is clear from epidemiological data that incidence of infectious disease and cancer increases dramatically with age, and, specifically, that many cancer incidence curves follow an apparent power law. The simplest model to account for this assumes that cancer initiation is the result of a gradual accumulation of rare "driver" mutations in one single cell. Furthermore, the fitting of this power law model (PLM) can be used to estimate the number of such mutations. Exponential curves have also been used to fit cancer incidence data, resulting in worse fits than the PLM overall. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that exponential rates close to the declining curve for thymic T cell production can be seen to emerge from the incidence data, indicating the relevance of the thymic involution timescale. While the PLM fits well, it does not account for changes in the immune system with age. To better determine the processes underlying carcinogenesis, we asked whether an alternative model, based only on age-related changes in immune system function, might partly or entirely explain cancer incidence. Our model outperforms the power law model with the same number of fitting parameters in describing cancer incidence data across a wide spectrum of different cancers, and provides excellent fits to infectious disease data. Our hypothesis and results add to the understanding of infectious disease and cancer incidence, suggesting in the latter case that immunosenescence, rather than gradual accumulation of mutations, serves as the predominant reason for an increase in cancer incidence with age for many cancers. For future therapies, including preventative therapies, strengthening the functionality of the aging immune system appears to be more feasible than limiting genetic mutations, which raises hope for effective new treatments.
spodek 9y ago
Saying exercise prevents decline normalizes being sedentary. I prefer considering exercise normal and saying its lack accelerates decline. Anyone is free to call normal what they want, but I find my way leads me to live more healthy.
- KarenSatantsby 9y ago
  This needs to be one of those Bear memes.. anyway I like this and will put it up on my door at work.
- matwood 9y ago
  This is a great way to put it. I've been exercising so long that it is my normal. Not exercising for more than two days in a row and I start to feel weird/not healthy. This has led me to end up on the treadmill at 10pm or 5am. When it becomes your normal it is just like breathing or eating.
  - devgutt 9y ago
    Same to me, but I was more active when I was living in a warm country. Now I am living in a mildly cold winter country, and struggling to go out out to walk/run because of the cold. 3 weeks and I already feeling less productive and healthy.
    - ccozan 9y ago
      I think is normal ( like almost all animals) to be less active in the winter, and to be really active in the warm time/summer. I do the same, body is used to idle in the winter/cold time. In summer, I spend almost all my free time outside. Feeling great at my 40's.
    - tacoman 9y ago
      Running in the cold is great. I run outside until it gets below -20 deg C. Some thermal tights and a few layers on top is all you need. It took me quite a few years to finally just give it a try and now I actually prefer running in the winter vs summer.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
said 9y ago
I have a concern. A few months ago, a widely publicized study[1] indicated that moderate-to-large amounts of exercise caused a buildup of plaque in the hearts of middle-aged white men. This correlation was not seen in any women, nor was it seen in black men. Unfortunately, this study included no Indian nor Southeast Asian people. I've seen unrelated studies indicating similar health outcomes for white men and Indian men, so as an Indian man, should I be worried about this? [1]: https://today.uic.edu/physically-active-white-men-at-high-risk-for-plaque-buildup-in-arteries https://today.uic.edu/physically-active-white-men-at-high-ri...
- hypersoar 9y ago
  Not even middle-aged white men should worry about it. It was more "This population had the highest coronary artery calcification, which matches what other studies have found. We should look into it more" rather than "These white dudes gotta slow down or their hearts'll give out".
  - said 9y ago
    I appreciate your response. I’m under the impression that the white men who exercised more had more calcification: > Instead, Laddu and her colleagues found that participants in trajectory group three, or those who exercised the most, were 27 percent more likely than those in trajectory group one to develop CAC by middle age. CAC was measured during the participants’ 25th year in the study using computed tomography, a CT scan, of the chest. At year 25, participants were ages 43 to 55.
- DoreenMichele 9y ago
  You probably eat different from most white men. If you are concerned, you could look for studies that correlate dietary choices or other factors to such calcification. Exercise is just one factor here and does not operate in isolation.
- cowpig 9y ago
  Feeling concerned about newly discovered correlations isn't going to help you live longer. Maybe this will help you: http://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations http://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations
stangles1 9y ago
I'd be curious to know if similar effects are observed in orthogonal types of physical activity from cycling, e.g. strength training.
- juanmirocks 9y ago
  I hear often that strength training is more beneficial as, supposedly, increments your growth hormone levels. I'm also interested in a listing of publications comparing different physical activities for their fitness related to improving health overall and anti-aging concretely. ?
Retric 9y ago
I don't think it's any one thing. Exercise helps people stay connected with others. Being healthy enough for exercise is important, but regular exercise also makes illness more obvious. If you stay at home watching TV then feeling bad does not change much, if you normally bike around then dizzy spells become really noticeable.
rubicon33 9y ago
If you work at a desk all day and are interested in being more active, take a look at Desk Cycle: https://deskcycle.com/ https://deskcycle.com/ I got one a few months ago after reading a testimonial in a similar thread here on hacker news. Mine sits permanently under my desk. I have nothing but positive comments to say about it. Fit's nicely under the desk, works wonderfully.
- byproxy 9y ago
  Looks good for perpetual foot-tappers, too. Would be good if it could generate power...maybe charge up a device a bit in the process.

225 points by Luc 9y ago

Luc 9y ago

The publication this is based on is open access: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12750/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12750/full

Agebor 9y ago

- is it correlation or causation? - could the causation be in the other direction? You always need to ask these questions. Perhaps senior people who have immune systems as 20-year olds, are much more likely to cycle in old age. Or there is some other reason that causes both.

wukerplank 9y ago
Does it matter that much? Just be active for as long as possible and reap the benefits of fit muscles and a stronger heart. Purely anecdotal: My grandfather is nearing 90 and still jumps on his indoor bike every day. Last winter he fell (due to ice) and got away with a few bruises. For other people his age this kind of fall could have meant a broken hip. He had two heart attacks when he was around 60 and a life long lung disease - far away from the immune system (or health) of a 20-year old.
- OldSchoolJohnny 9y ago
  Does it matter? Of course logic and keeping it real matters unless you want to be ruled by superstition all your life.
  - wukerplank 9y ago
    I don't think the positive effects daily cardio are superstition.
- nmeofthestate 9y ago
  Of course it matters. If the old cyclists are just genetically superior, then prescribing 100 mile bike rides to frail old people might be damaging, rather than transforming them into disease-resistant superhumans.
  - nradov 9y ago
    Don't be ridiculous. No physician or trainer would prescribe a century ride to a frail old person. That's something you have to work up to. But if they start with something easier then some of them will eventually stop being frail, and start being capable of completing long rides.
  - wukerplank 9y ago
    Why would you prescribe a 100 mile ride to an old person? My point was that living a long and fairly healthy life is a day to day project, not a pill you take once you hit 70.

DoreenMichele 9y ago

A different study found that intense exercise reverses aging at the cellular level: http://www.health.com/fitness/anti-aging-hiit-workout http://www.health.com/fitness/anti-aging-hiit-workout The body process lymph several times more efficiently while active. This is how the body removes wastes from tissues. Seems to me that would be pertinent.

reasonattlm 9y ago

Publicity materials: https://theconversation.com/exercise-can-slow-the-ageing-process-a-professor-explains-how-93020 https://theconversation.com/exercise-can-slow-the-ageing-pro... Paper: https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12750 https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12750 This age of biotechnology is also an age of comparative indolence and comfort. As the research community measures specific biochemical aspects of aging, such as the decline of the cardiovascular system, or metrics relating to immunosenescence in the immune system, we might question the degree to which the results are peculiar to our era. How much of aging is the result of our choices - to eat more and exercise less than our ancestors - rather than the result of inexorable processes of biochemical damage that we, as yet, have little influence over? (Conversely, how much of past aging was due to infectious disease, malnutrition, and other adverse external circumstances that are controlled to a much greater degree today?) This topic crops up fairly often in research into the effects of exercise on health, and the research noted here is a particularly striking example of the type. The study authors find that the age-related decline of new T cells maturing in the thymus is negligible in some people, those who exercise much more than the rest of us. This diminished supply of new T cells is thought to be an important component of immune system aging, and the failure of the immune system is very influential over many other aspects of aging: senescent cell accumulation, frailty, loss of regenerative capacity, chronic inflammation, cancer risk, and so on. Yet when we look at the demographic evidence for spread of life span based on exercise, it appears to be, at most, 6 or 7 years (with a much larger divergence when it comes to state of health over time). What does this tell us about the likely gains resulting from rejuvenation therapies seeking to regenerate the thymus? Less than we would like, I suspect, and not just because it is hard to evaluate any one contribution to aging in isolation of all of the others. The thymus atrophies over adult life, with active tissue necessary for the production of T cells being replaced by fat. The first major loss of active thymic tissue occurs at the end of childhood, however, in a process known as involution. Immune cells are generated at a tremendous rate in children in comparison to young adults; evolution selected for a system that would be highly effective at the outset, at the cost of later issues. When it is observed that old people in their 60s and 70s who maintained a high level of fitness throughout life exhibit much the same thymic output as young people in their 20s, that tells us little regarding the outcome were the thymus restored to the same level of active tissue as is present in children. Only a mild restoration, to move thymic activity from typical aged to typical young adult, would be comparable - and why would we stop there?

aacook 9y ago

I've been working on a product to help families stay more connected with the elderly people in their lives, https://nanagram.co https://nanagram.co. In addition to spending a solid amount of time w/ my 94-year-old Grandpa the past couple years the project has been a fascinating journey learning about life after 80. It's so awesome to see an 82 year old guy on his road bike in the video on this article! Susan Pinker has a fascinating Ted talk on the secret to a long life. For years I'd always assumed things like diet and exercise would be the top factors. But according to Pinker social integration is the top factor, even higher than drinking and smoking (which, somehow, are higher than exercise). https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_pinker_the_secret_to_living_longer_may_be_your_social_life https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_pinker_the_secret_to_living_... This study is about endurance cyclists, showing them riding in social groups. Is exercise really the top factor here? Or is it riding in social groups? Maybe it's a combination of both. I've seen the impact regular exercise can have on my own physical and mental health and on my Grandpa's. Past age 90, exercise can become a real challenge. At this stage, my Grandpa has a couple in-home nurses who visit and help him complete various exercises each week, lifting his arms above his head, moving his legs, etc. Other than that, I try and visit him as often as possible. We do simple things, like shop for groceries together, to keep him moving. One of the most eye opening experiences for me on old age was about 18 months ago just after my Grandpa stopped driving at age 93. I started visiting him more and we began a genealogy project of sorts. At first his memory wasn't so great. But after a month or so of regular visits, it was like a fire was ignited. All of the sudden he was reciting incredible facts and figures about the past. He kept up with all the little details in my life better than many of the people I know in my 30s. And there was a new pep in his step. It's rare to live past 90. I'm grateful for every day I get with my grandparents, both 94 and under 30min from me. If you have an older person in your life, I encourage making as much time as possible to visit. There's so much you can learn from them and your visits can have a positive impact on their life too.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

known 9y ago

Metformin acts on a number of hormone receptors which are also affected by Calorie Restriction for long and cancer free life https://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21704788-fight-cheat-death-hotting-up-adding-ages https://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21704788-fight-cheat...

scottrogers 9y ago

On a 5 hr bike ride your body is going to go into a similar state as intermittent fasting with all your glycogen being burned off. Similar to fasting this frees up energy and allows the garbage in your system to be burned off.

dominotw 9y ago
> garbage in your system What precisely is this?
- rimliu 9y ago
  Garbage statement. Your body is not an incinerator. Kidneys and liver take care of the garbage.
- OldSchoolJohnny 9y ago
  Lymphatic system, which operates during movement.
michaelcampbell 9y ago
I do a ~24 hour fast weekly, and a LOT of sites go into this "burning off garbage" or "toxin cleaning" rhetoric which always puts me in "bullshit warning" mode. Is there actual science behind these claims?
- jryan49 9y ago
  The only thing I've read that doesn't completely fire off my "bullshit warning mode" is something like "fasting can enable stem cells, and have immune system destroy old cells" like explained here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/12/fasting-for-three-days-can-regenerate-entire-immune-system-study/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/12/fasting-for-t... Still seems a little too "high level" to actually believe though. In any case, I still do IF by skipping breakfast, mostly because I'm lazy, and after fasting for so many years hunger doesn't really bother me that much.
- RBerenguel 9y ago

reasonattlm 9y ago

Given that this study focuses on declining naive T cell production and thymic tissue loss, it is interesting to look at another recent study that suggests these losses are the dominant cause of increased cancer rates with age. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1714478115 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1714478115 T cells develop from hematopoietic stem cells as part of the lymphoid lineage and have the ability to detect foreign antigens and neoantigens arising from cancer cells. In the thymus, lymphoid progenitors commit to a specific T cell receptor and undergo selection events that screen against self-reactivity. Cells that pass these selection gates then leave the thymus, clonally expanding to form the patrolling naive T cell pool. The vast majority of vertebrates experience thymic involution (or atrophy) in which thymic epithelial tissue is replaced with adipose tissue, resulting in decreasing T cell export from the thymus. In humans, this is thought to begin as early as 1 year of age. The rate of thymic T cell production is estimated to decline exponentially over time with a half-life of ∼15.7 years. Declining production of new naive T cells is thought to be a significant component of immunosenescence, the age-related decline in immune system function. With the recent successes of T cell-based immunotherapies, it is timely to assess how thymic involution may affect cancer and infectious disease incidence. It is clear from epidemiological data that incidence of infectious disease and cancer increases dramatically with age, and, specifically, that many cancer incidence curves follow an apparent power law. The simplest model to account for this assumes that cancer initiation is the result of a gradual accumulation of rare "driver" mutations in one single cell. Furthermore, the fitting of this power law model (PLM) can be used to estimate the number of such mutations. Exponential curves have also been used to fit cancer incidence data, resulting in worse fits than the PLM overall. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that exponential rates close to the declining curve for thymic T cell production can be seen to emerge from the incidence data, indicating the relevance of the thymic involution timescale. While the PLM fits well, it does not account for changes in the immune system with age. To better determine the processes underlying carcinogenesis, we asked whether an alternative model, based only on age-related changes in immune system function, might partly or entirely explain cancer incidence. Our model outperforms the power law model with the same number of fitting parameters in describing cancer incidence data across a wide spectrum of different cancers, and provides excellent fits to infectious disease data. Our hypothesis and results add to the understanding of infectious disease and cancer incidence, suggesting in the latter case that immunosenescence, rather than gradual accumulation of mutations, serves as the predominant reason for an increase in cancer incidence with age for many cancers. For future therapies, including preventative therapies, strengthening the functionality of the aging immune system appears to be more feasible than limiting genetic mutations, which raises hope for effective new treatments.

spodek 9y ago

Saying exercise prevents decline normalizes being sedentary. I prefer considering exercise normal and saying its lack accelerates decline. Anyone is free to call normal what they want, but I find my way leads me to live more healthy.

KarenSatantsby 9y ago
This needs to be one of those Bear memes.. anyway I like this and will put it up on my door at work.
matwood 9y ago
This is a great way to put it. I've been exercising so long that it is my normal. Not exercising for more than two days in a row and I start to feel weird/not healthy. This has led me to end up on the treadmill at 10pm or 5am. When it becomes your normal it is just like breathing or eating.
- devgutt 9y ago
  Same to me, but I was more active when I was living in a warm country. Now I am living in a mildly cold winter country, and struggling to go out out to walk/run because of the cold. 3 weeks and I already feeling less productive and healthy.
  - ccozan 9y ago
    I think is normal ( like almost all animals) to be less active in the winter, and to be really active in the warm time/summer. I do the same, body is used to idle in the winter/cold time. In summer, I spend almost all my free time outside. Feeling great at my 40's.
  - tacoman 9y ago
    Running in the cold is great. I run outside until it gets below -20 deg C. Some thermal tights and a few layers on top is all you need. It took me quite a few years to finally just give it a try and now I actually prefer running in the winter vs summer.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

said 9y ago

I have a concern. A few months ago, a widely publicized study[1] indicated that moderate-to-large amounts of exercise caused a buildup of plaque in the hearts of middle-aged white men. This correlation was not seen in any women, nor was it seen in black men. Unfortunately, this study included no Indian nor Southeast Asian people. I've seen unrelated studies indicating similar health outcomes for white men and Indian men, so as an Indian man, should I be worried about this? [1]: https://today.uic.edu/physically-active-white-men-at-high-risk-for-plaque-buildup-in-arteries https://today.uic.edu/physically-active-white-men-at-high-ri...

hypersoar 9y ago
Not even middle-aged white men should worry about it. It was more "This population had the highest coronary artery calcification, which matches what other studies have found. We should look into it more" rather than "These white dudes gotta slow down or their hearts'll give out".
- said 9y ago
  I appreciate your response. I’m under the impression that the white men who exercised more had more calcification: > Instead, Laddu and her colleagues found that participants in trajectory group three, or those who exercised the most, were 27 percent more likely than those in trajectory group one to develop CAC by middle age. CAC was measured during the participants’ 25th year in the study using computed tomography, a CT scan, of the chest. At year 25, participants were ages 43 to 55.
DoreenMichele 9y ago
You probably eat different from most white men. If you are concerned, you could look for studies that correlate dietary choices or other factors to such calcification. Exercise is just one factor here and does not operate in isolation.
cowpig 9y ago
Feeling concerned about newly discovered correlations isn't going to help you live longer. Maybe this will help you: http://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations http://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

stangles1 9y ago

I'd be curious to know if similar effects are observed in orthogonal types of physical activity from cycling, e.g. strength training.

juanmirocks 9y ago
I hear often that strength training is more beneficial as, supposedly, increments your growth hormone levels. I'm also interested in a listing of publications comparing different physical activities for their fitness related to improving health overall and anti-aging concretely. ?

Retric 9y ago

I don't think it's any one thing. Exercise helps people stay connected with others. Being healthy enough for exercise is important, but regular exercise also makes illness more obvious. If you stay at home watching TV then feeling bad does not change much, if you normally bike around then dizzy spells become really noticeable.

rubicon33 9y ago

If you work at a desk all day and are interested in being more active, take a look at Desk Cycle: https://deskcycle.com/ https://deskcycle.com/ I got one a few months ago after reading a testimonial in a similar thread here on hacker news. Mine sits permanently under my desk. I have nothing but positive comments to say about it. Fit's nicely under the desk, works wonderfully.

byproxy 9y ago
Looks good for perpetual foot-tappers, too. Would be good if it could generate power...maybe charge up a device a bit in the process.