Senolytic Effects of High Intensity Exercise
A recent study investigated the potential senolytic effects of high intensity exercise, focusing on the marker P16 as a sign of cellular senescence. While the effects appear to be transient, the underlying biochemistry could hold promise for future senolytic therapies. It’s important to note that P16 can also indicate non-senescent macrophages, which play a key role in the muscle tissue response to high intensity exercise. Additional measures of cellular senescence may be needed to fully understand the benefits of this type of exercise.
Despite causing more tissue damage, high intensity exercise has been shown to improve aging conditions. Previous research found a decrease in p16INK4a mRNA in skeletal muscle after high-intensity exercise compared to moderate-intensity exercise. This raises questions about whether the senolytic effect of exercise is linked to inflammation and the immune response triggered by muscle damage.
The study involved blocking inflammation using ibuprofen in a placebo-controlled trial with young men performing high-intensity exercise. Muscle biopsies showed decreased p16INK4a mRNA levels post-exercise, with a correlation to CD11b mRNA levels indicating myeloid differentiation. Ibuprofen treatment prevented this reduction, suggesting a link between exercise-induced inflammation and senolytic effects in skeletal muscle.
