title: Chronic and acute effects of endurance training on telomere length.
abstract: Telomere shortening is considered a cellular marker of health status and biological ageing. Exercise may influence the health and lifespan of an individual by affecting telomere length (TL). However, it is unclear whether different endurance exercise levels may have beneficial or detrimental effects on biological aging. The aims of the study were to assess both chronic and acute effects of endurance training on TL after an exceptional and extreme trail race. TL was assessed in 20 endurance athletes (17 males; age = 45.4 ± 9.2 years) and 42 age- and gender-matched sedentary controls (32 males; age = 45.9 ± 9.5 years) with quantitative real-time PCR at baseline conditions. Of the 20 runners enrolled in the 'Tor des Géants ®' ultra-distance trail race, 15 athletes (12 males; age = 47.2 ± 8.5 years) were re-evaluated at the intermediate point and 14 athletes (11 males; age = 47.1 ± 8.8 years) completed the competition and were analysed at the final point. Comparison between the two groups (endurance athletes vs. sedentary controls) revealed a significant difference in TL (1.28 ± 0.4 vs. 1.02 ± 0.3, P = 0.005). TL was better preserved in elder endurance runners compared with the same age control group (1.3 ± 0.27 vs. 0.91 ± 0.21, P = 0.003). TL was significantly reduced at the intermediate (0.88 ± 0.36 vs. 1.11 ± 0.34, P = 0.002) and final point compared with baseline measurements (0.86 ± 0.4 vs. 1.11 ± 0.34, P = 0.0006) for athletes engaged in the ultra-marathon race. Our data suggest that chronic endurance training may provide protective effects on TL attenuating biological aging. Conversely, acute exposure to an ultra-distance endurance trail race implies telomere shortening probably caused by oxidative DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy, Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Mountain Medicine Center, Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital, Viale Ginevra 3, 11100 Aosta, Italy and Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy aborghini@ifc.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borghini
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Mountain Medicine Center, Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital, Viale Ginevra 3, 11100 Aosta, Italy and.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giardini
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy, Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Mountain Medicine Center, Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital, Viale Ginevra 3, 11100 Aosta, Italy and Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tonacci
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy, Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Mountain Medicine Center, Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital, Viale Ginevra 3, 11100 Aosta, Italy and Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mastorci
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy, Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Mountain Medicine Center, Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital, Viale Ginevra 3, 11100 Aosta, Italy and Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mercuri
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mrakic-Sposta
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona Mrakic
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sposta
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy, Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Mountain Medicine Center, Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital, Viale Ginevra 3, 11100 Aosta, Italy and Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Andreassi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy, Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Mountain Medicine Center, Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital, Viale Ginevra 3, 11100 Aosta, Italy and Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pratali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D056352:Athletes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000502:physiology*