From the age of 60 onwards, the effects of aging on the control of heart rate at rest and on cardiorespiratory fitness become more evident, that is, on the body’s ability to capture (respiratory system), transport (cardiovascular system) and consume (muscles) oxygen during physical exercise. The results were observed in a study that evaluated 118 healthy people of different age groups.
Furthermore, certain changes were observed in the metabolic profile, that is, in the concentration of substances in the blood, which are apparently related to the mitigation of the deleterious effects of senescence (or aging).
Aparecida Maria Catai, professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and coordinator of the research, gives more details about the gains observed in the research published in the Scientific Reports magazine.
Importance of studying aging
“Studying aging is important, as it causes changes in several of our organic systems. Metabolism has been extensively studied, as has cardiac autonomic modulation. [o controle da frequência cardíaca pelo sistema nervoso] and cardiorespiratory fitness, however, almost always in isolation. In our study, we sought to investigate the changes resulting from the aging process in an integrated way. By analyzing these three components simultaneously, we discovered a possible turning point in aging at 60 years of age. Although senescence is a process that lasts decades, it is mainly after the age of 60 that changes in the three components analyzed become more significant”, he reveals.
Étore de Favari Signini, FAPESP doctoral fellow and first author of the article highlights that, over time, even healthy people present some impairments. “Because of this, some ‘physiological adjustments’ are being made so that it remains in balance [homeostase]. However, these mechanisms are limited and become exhausted as we age. In this study, we identified that some changes in the serum levels of certain metabolites may be related to these homeostatic mechanisms.”
The finding may contribute to new strategies aimed at reducing the harmful effects of aging. This is because researchers observed that some metabolites may be associated with mitigating the harmful effects of aging. “This is a significant increase, in the age range between 60 and 70 years, in serum levels of hippuric acid, a metabolite associated with a series of different functions, including the diversity of the intestinal microbiota and metabolic health”, explains the researcher.
The research also shows that, although the increase in this metabolite may indicate impairments in kidney function, other studies on the subject have proposed that hippuric acid may be a marker and mediator of metabolic health, and may be related to the complexity of the intestinal microbiota ( with direct influence on the absorption of nutrients in the intestine) and a possible protective effect on the beta cells of the pancreas.
“As these were apparently healthy elderly people, with no indication of renal impairment, we suggest that the increase in hippuric acid would be linked to the enrichment of the intestinal microbiota and, consequently, to better absorption of nutrients in the intestine. And we know that the better the intestinal absorption of nutrients, considering the context of aging, the better the health of the body in general”, says the specialist.
Essential amino acids
The reduction of essential amino acids, such as valine, leucine and isoleucine – known by the acronym BCAAs (which in English means branched-chain amino acids) was another important aspect investigated by the researchers.
“The decay of BCAAs in healthy aging may be linked to the body’s strategy to preserve itself. We know that BCAAs are directly linked to protein synthesis. And, with aging, anabolic activity decreases”, illustrates Signini.
Signini highlights that the benefits of BCAA supplementation in the elderly, with the promotion of protein synthesis, is still a subject of much debate. “The reduction of anabolic activity [que nesse contexto possui relação com a redução dos níveis de BCAAs séricos] It has also been highlighted, to a certain extent, as something beneficial according to some studies”, he states.
“Research has shown that accentuated anabolic activity in a context in which there are several impairments in the cellular machinery, such as, for example, in the function of organelles and enzymes, can bring unwanted consequences, including cancer”, he adds.
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