The Genetic Workout: Can Exercise Rewrite Your Genes?

<blockquote> <h3>Fast Facts: </h3> <ul> <li>Your genes play an important role in your health, and so do your behaviors and environment, such as what you eat and how physically active you are.</li> <li>The emerging field of epigenetics is shedding light on how lifestyle choices, like exercise, can modify the expression of your DNA. </li> <li>A study, involving 70 pairs of twins, found that regular exercise can alter how your body reads a DNA sequence, and in turn, turn off certain genes to help lower your risk for chronic conditions like metabolic disease – even if it runs in the family. </li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>When we think about exercise, we often consider its benefits for muscle strength, cardiovascular health, weight management, and mood enhancement. But have you ever considered the impact of your morning jog or weekly yoga class beyond just shedding a few pounds or gaining muscle?</p> <p>Well, recent studies are revealing a more profound impact of exercise: its ability to influence your DNA. Yup, you read that right – the very essence of your biological makeup is influenced by how much you move.</p> <p>In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your genes play an important role in your health, and so do your behaviors and environment, such as what you eat and how physically active you are. </p> <p>How, you ask? </p> <p>Well, read on to learn more about how exercise affects your DNA. </p> <h2>Epigenetics – it’s more than just genes</h2> <p>Your DNA is like a blueprint for your body. It carries instructions for everything from the color of your eyes and how your body processes nutrients, to your risk of certain diseases. Now, technically, you can’t change your DNA, but the emerging field of epigenetics is shedding light on how lifestyle choices, like exercise, can modify the expression of your DNA. </p> <figure><img alt="" height="369" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/OoYmg2IMoG/original.jpg" width="552" /> <figcaption>DNA <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Epigenetics is a branch of biology that studies how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes don't alter the DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence. It's about understanding how certain lifestyle and environmental factors can lead to changes in how genes are expressed. More simply put, certain factors, like exercise, don’t change the fundamental structure of your DNA, but rather, they can influence which genes are turned on or off. And so, the genetic code on your DNA remains the same, but these factors can change how that code is read and implemented.</p> <p>Epigenetic patterns can shift based on what you eat, whether you smoke, your exposure to environmental pollutants, the amount of sleep you get, your stress level, and of course, how much you move.</p> <p>A study published in <em>Scientific Reports</em>, involving 70 pairs of identical twins over a seven-year period, found that regular exercise can alter how your body reads a DNA sequence, and even turn off certain genes to help lower your risk for chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease – even if it runs in the family. </p> <p>Those in the twin pairs who were more active had lower signs of chronic diseases, such as excess body fat around the waist, elevated blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. This means the more active twin showed a lower risk for conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. </p> <p>And so, when you exercise, you’re essentially changing the way certain genes are expressed. This can lead to changes in where your body stores fat, or how your body regulates blood pressure. </p> <h2>The cellular workout – how exercise turns genes on or off</h2> <p>But how does exercise alter the expression of your genes? Well, there are two primary mechanisms involved with epigenetic changes: DNA methylation and histone modification. </p> <p>First, let’s talk about DNA methylation. When you engage in exercise, it's not just your muscles that are getting a workout – your genes are too. Physical activity triggers a complex series of biochemical reactions within your cells. This includes the release of certain molecules that communicate with your cells' nuclei, where your DNA is stored. One such type of communication is DNA methylation. DNA methylation involves adding or removing a methyl group to the DNA, which can lead to an increase or decrease in gene activity. Adding a methyl group to the DNA can signal the DNA to ramp up or scale down the expression of specific genes. This process is like a dimmer switch on a light – exercise can turn up or down the intensity of gene expression without changing the lightbulb (the DNA) itself.</p> <figure><img alt="" height="477" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/pA7QV7ild9/original.png" width="701" /> <figcaption>Epigenetic mechanisms <em>Source: National Institutes of Health/Wikimedia</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>And so, regular exercise can lead to changes in DNA methylation patterns, particularly in genes associated with energy metabolism and inflammation. This means that your fitness routine can have a direct impact on how these genes are expressed.</p> <p>Next is histones modification. Histones are proteins that DNA wraps around. They play a crucial role in regulating gene expression. When you exercise, these histones can undergo chemical modifications that change their interaction with DNA. This can either coil the DNA more tightly, essentially hiding genes and making them less accessible for expression, or loosen it, exposing genes and making them more accessible. This, in turn, regulates gene expression – it’s like turning the volume up or down on specific genes.</p> <h2>The ripple effect of exercise-induced epigenetic changes</h2> <p>Epigenetic changes caused by exercise is like throwing a stone into a pond – the ripples can extend far beyond your exercise session. And that’s one of the most fascinating parts of exercise and its epigenetic influence; the potential for long-lasting effects. Regular exercise can lead to long-term epigenetic changes where the benefits of your workouts stick around much longer than your post-exercise high.</p> <p>Studies suggest that consistent physical activity can lead to enduring epigenetic modifications, offering long-term health benefits. These changes can influence how your body responds to diseases. This could explain why regular exercise is often linked with reduced risks of chronic diseases and improved overall health.</p> <p>But the epigenetic changes of exercise go beyond just physical health. It also plays a significant role in mental health and cognitive function. Regular physical activity has been shown to impact epigenetic markers in the brain, which can influence mood, stress response, and even the risk of developing neurological disorders, like anxiety, depression, and even age-related dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>But more than that, another fascinating area of exercise and epigenetics is its impact on aging. Regular physical activity can influence epigenetic markers associated with aging, potentially slowing down the process and promoting a longer, healthier lifespan.</p> <p>Lastly, emerging research suggests that epigenetic changes induced by exercise could potentially be passed down to future generations. This means that the benefits of your exercise habits might not just be limited to you but could also positively influence the health of your kids and your kids’ kids. </p> <h2>The takeaway</h2> <p>Your genes play a crucial role in determining who you are – from the color of your eyes to your predisposition to certain health conditions. And it's common to think that your genes are set in stone, but science is revealing a different story. Your lifestyle, particularly how you move your body, can have a major impact on who you become and whether you develop the same health conditions your parents have. Even if heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or high blood pressure runs in the family, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed to become a person with these diseases. You can lower your risk of developing those conditions by focusing on lifestyle behaviors that boost your epigenetic power, like exercise.</p> <p>And while it's true that the sequence of your genes – the basic DNA code – remains unchanged, how these genes are expressed, read, and utilized by your body can indeed change. </p> <p>So, the next time you're rolling out your yoga mat or lacing up your sneakers for a run, remember that the benefit of your exercise routine is more than just improving your physical fitness. It’s also working on a genetic level, sculpting a healthier you from the inside out! </p> <h2>More on Genetics</h2><ul><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/wzvyyb9ulj-epigenetics" target="_blank">Epigenetics</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/wvrorb9s7j-gene-expression" target="_blank">Gene Expression</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/5mryxp6czj-benefits-of-exercise" target="_blank">The Many Benefits of Exercise</a></li></ul>