title: Life-long endurance running is associated with reduced glycation and mechanical stress in connective tissue.
abstract: Life-long regular endurance exercise is known to counteract the deterioration of cardiovascular and metabolic function and overall mortality. Yet it remains unknown if life-long regular endurance exercise can influence the connective tissue accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) that is associated with aging and lifestyle-related diseases. We therefore examined two groups of healthy elderly men: 15 master athletes (64 ± 4 years) who had been engaged in life-long endurance running and 12 old untrained (66 ± 4 years) together with two groups of healthy young men; ten young athletes matched for running distance (26 ± 4 years), and 12 young untrained (24 ± 3 years). AGE cross-links (pentosidine) of the patellar tendon were measured biochemically, and in the skin, it was assessed by a fluorometric method. In addition, we determined mechanical properties and microstructure of the patellar tendon. Life-long regular endurance runners (master athletes) had a 21 % lower AGE cross-link density compared to old untrained. Furthermore, both master athletes and young athletes displayed a thicker patellar tendon. These cross-sectional data suggest that life-long regular endurance running can partly counteract the aging process in connective tissue by reducing age-related accumulation of AGEs. This may not only benefit skin and tendon but also other long-lived protein tissues in the body. Furthermore, it appears that endurance running yields tendon tissue hypertrophy that may serve to lower the stress on the tendon and thereby reduce the risk of injury.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery M, Bispebjerg Hospital and Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Bldg. 8, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, DK-2400, Copenhagen, NV, Denmark, ccouppe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Couppé
authors.forename: René B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: Jean-Francois
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Grosset
authors.forename: Vuokko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kovanen
authors.forename: Rie H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Morten R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Jytte O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Stephan F E
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Praet
authors.forename: Dorthe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skovgaard
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aagaard
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kjaer
authors.forename: S Peter
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Magnusson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D056352:Athletes; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced