Can This Be The Key To The Fountain Of Youth?

Millions of dollars are spent annually on research in pursuit of the secret to slow down and even reverse the effects of aging.  Creams, vitamins and many other anti-aging tactics such as plastic surgery, are being used by many to slow down and even try and reverse the signs of aging as well as maintain the vitality of our youth.

Research in the anti-aging field is ongoing, however scientists are now turning their focus to the mitochondrial function of the cell.  The mitochondria are responsible for creating energy that drives all metabolic functions and a decline in mitochondrial quality and activity causes one to age and can lead to the onset of age-related diseases.

Exercise has always been touted as being vital for our overall health, including the ability to stave off various age related diseases. Choosing the correct type of exercise is equally important in order to achieve the maximum benefit. Research led by Sreekumaran Nair at the Mayo Clinic reveals that high intensity interval training (HIIT) can help reverse these effects. Positive mitochondrial changes and increased cellular energy production have been linked to exercising, especially HIIT routines,which includes short bursts of intense physical exercise interspersed with low impact activity.

A study was undertaken using volunteers between the ages of 18 to 30, whereby a third performed HIIT training, a third performed weight training and a third did a combination of both types of exercises for three months.  The results showed that the group that did HIIT training not only showed an improvement on the cellular level, but also showed an improvement in lung, heart and circulation health.  The group that did a combination of exercises showed an improvement in oxygen consumption and the weight-only group only gained an increase in muscle mass.

With all the research and discoveries being conducted in the field of aging, the quest for the fountain of youth may not be so far in being discovered.