P3996Prospective study of differential effects of aerobic endurance, interval and resistance training on telomerase activity and telomere length in circulating mononuclear cells

Abstract

Background: The aim of this prospective, randomized and controlled training study was to assess the molecular effects of different physical training modalities on cellular ageing regulators in circulating mononuclear cells and to test whether different training modalities exert differential effects in a primary prevention cohort. Methods: n=124 healthy non‐smokers without regular physical activity aged 30‐ 60 years were randomized to a control group (control; no change of inactive lifestyle) or aerobic endurance training (AET, continuous running), high‐intensity interval training (IT, 4x4 method) or resistance training (RT; circle training on 8 devices). The intervention consisted of 3 training sessions per week (45 min each) for a total duration of 6 months. Physical fitness was determined by treadmill testing at baseline (pre) and after the study (post). Telomerase activity (TRAP assay) and leukocyte telomere length (FACS‐FlowFISH and real‐time PCR) were measured in freshly isolated mononuclear cells (MNC). Results: No changes were observed in control group. Maximal running speed was elevated more by endurance than by resistance exercise (control: ‐0.1±0.1; AET: 1.1±0.1; IT: 1.4±0.1; RT: 0.4±0.1 km/h). Telomerase activity was increased in both endurance exercise groups, but not in resistance training (% post vs. pre: control 106±17%; AET 245±19; IT 196±16%; RT 146±15%). Real‐time PCRs showed increased telomere/single copy gene DNA quantities in AET and IT (Δ post vs. pre, 0.18 and 0.11, vs. 0.02 in controls and 0.02 in RT), but not RT. FACSFlowFISH assays were standardized by using 1) bovine thymocytes as an internal reference in each sample, 2) Quantum beads with defined fluorescence intensity and 3) a reference MNC sample in each run to account for day‐to‐day variability. Neither lymphocyte nor granulocyte telomere length differed from pre to post test in the control and resistance exercise groups. However in both endurance groups, TL significantly increased (lymphocyte / granulocyte TL, basepairs: AET: pre, 5255±443 / 6362±633, post 6271±575 / 7486±800; IT: pre 5441±378 / 6357±432, post 6295±444 / 7264±526). Changes of TL correlated with changes in running speed, telomerase activity and expression of inducible NO synthase. Conclusion: This randomized, prospective, controlled training study shows that specific modalities of physical exercise mediate differential molecular effects on cellular senescence. Both telomerase activity and telomere length were increased after aerobic endurance and high‐intensive interval training, but not after strength training.