Eating Less, Not Exercising May Be Key to Longevity

A study that appears in the May issue of the American Journal of Physiology published by The American Physiological Society, suggests that eating less can significantly increase lifespan instead of a regular exercise regime. Based on mice observation, the scientific team showed that hormonal changes that occur when mice eat significantly could extend the lifespan of rodents.

The team concluded that DNA damage increases with age and is accelerated by obesity but could be slowed by caloric restriction and/or exercise. The study suggested that caloric restriction created beneficial changes in the body’s hormone levels which exercise does not. The researchers concluded that these metabolic changes play a role in extending life.

Physiologists have been trying to unravel the reasons for this, and two major theories have emerged. One theory is that exercise places stress on the body, which can result in damage to the tissues and DNA. Another theory is that caloric restriction leads to physiological changes, which benefit the body.

However, the team leader did warn that the study applied only to rodents, which are different in some key ways from humans. Previous studies using mouse model had shown that exercising did prevent an early death from disease, but does not extend the maximal lifespan.