Division of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT 06102, USA.
J Investig Med. 2013 Mar;61(3):613-5. doi: 10.2310/JIM.0b013e3182814cc2.
Physical exercise up-regulates telomere-stabilizing proteins in mice, suggesting that physical activity affects telomere length. Several human studies assessing the relationship between physical activity, measured by health or activity surveys, and telomere length have produced conflicting results. The present study sought to explore the association between telomere length and physical fitness measured objectively as maximal oxygen uptake in endurance-trained athletes and sedentary controls.
Seventeen marathon runners and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy, sedentary control subjects participated in the study. Medical history, demographic information, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), and peripheral blood lymphocyte telomere length were measured in all subjects. Statistical analysis was performed to examine the relationship between telomere length and measured variables.
Athletes and sedentary controls had similar lymphocyte (0.97 ± 0.20 vs 1.01 ± 0.18; P = 0.6) and granulocyte (0.89 ± 0.11 vs 0.89 ± 0.12; P = 0.9) telomere lengths. Linear regression analysis showed age as the only variable significantly associated with telomere length (P = 0.007). There was no correlation between VO2 max and telomere length.
In a cohort of healthy adult athletes and sedentary controls, there was no association between physical activity measured by VO2 max and peripheral blood lymphocyte and granulocyte telomere length.
运动可上调小鼠端粒稳定蛋白，提示运动可能影响端粒长度。多项人类研究评估了健康或活动调查问卷测量的体力活动与端粒长度之间的关系，但结果相互矛盾。本研究旨在探索通过耐力型运动员和久坐不动的对照组的最大摄氧量客观测量的身体适应性与端粒长度之间的关联。
17 名马拉松运动员和 15 名年龄和性别匹配的健康、久坐不动的对照组受试者参加了这项研究。所有受试者均测量了病史、人口统计学信息、最大摄氧量（VO2 max）和外周血淋巴细胞端粒长度。进行了统计分析，以检查端粒长度与测量变量之间的关系。
运动员和久坐不动的对照组的淋巴细胞（0.97 ± 0.20 对 1.01 ± 0.18；P = 0.6）和粒细胞（0.89 ± 0.11 对 0.89 ± 0.12；P = 0.9）端粒长度相似。线性回归分析显示年龄是唯一与端粒长度显著相关的变量（P = 0.007）。VO2 max 与端粒长度之间无相关性。
在一组健康的成年运动员和久坐不动的对照组中，通过 VO2 max 测量的体力活动与外周血淋巴细胞和粒细胞端粒长度之间没有关联。
