Study reveals how exercise supports muscle health and counters aging

A recent scientific study has found that regular exercise may help reverse some of the biological changes associated with aging by enhancing the muscles’ ability to repair themselves and remove damaged proteins, supporting the maintenance of muscle strength and function as people grow older.

The study was published in the journal PNAS and reported by ScienceDaily. It was conducted by researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, in collaboration with Singapore General Hospital and Cardiff University, who identified molecular mechanisms that may explain how physical activity preserves muscle health.

Why do muscles weaken with age?

As people age, muscle mass and strength gradually decline, making daily activities more difficult and increasing the risk of falls and fractures.

Weak muscles can also slow recovery from injuries and illnesses, and affect the regulation of blood sugar and metabolism.

The researchers explained that maintaining muscle health depends on a balance between producing new proteins and removing old or damaged ones—a process essential for muscle tissue to function efficiently.

A cellular mechanism known as mTORC1 plays a key role in regulating cell growth and protein production. However, this mechanism can become disrupted with age, as cells tend to increase protein production at the expense of clearing damaged proteins, leading to their accumulation in muscle tissue and impairing its ability to function and regenerate.

DEAF1 gene: a key factor in muscle decline

The researchers identified a gene called DEAF1 as a contributor to this imbalance. The study found that DEAF1 levels rise with age, which is linked to increased mTORC1 activity and disrupted maintenance processes in muscle cells.

Under normal conditions, a group of proteins known as FOXO helps regulate gene activity and maintain cellular balance, keeping DEAF1 levels in check. However, as the effectiveness of these proteins declines with age, DEAF1 levels may rise, disturbing the balance necessary for muscle health.

How does exercise help restore muscle function?

The study found that exercise can influence these molecular mechanisms by activating regulatory proteins that help lower DEAF1 levels and restore mTORC1 activity to a more balanced state.

This change helps muscle cells improve their ability to clear damaged proteins and produce new ones more efficiently, supporting repair and regeneration processes that typically decline with age.

Lead researcher Tang Hong-wen explained that physical activity helps rebalance the cellular growth pathway, allowing aging muscles to better remove damaged proteins and rebuild themselves, which may enhance their strength and flexibility.

However, these findings are still in the early stages, as the experiments were conducted on fruit flies and mice. It is not yet confirmed whether the same mechanisms operate in humans, so targeting DEAF1 therapeutically will require further research to assess its effectiveness and safety.

The study highlights the potential role of exercise in preserving muscle health with age. While it does not suggest that aging effects can be completely reversed, it points to promising biological mechanisms that may help limit muscle function decline in the future.