As we age, losing muscle mass and strength is a natural part of life, but it doesn’t have to happen as quickly as many people think. Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to preserve healthy muscles, maintain mobility and support long-term independence. Beyond building strength, emerging research suggests that staying physically active may even help keep your muscles biologically younger, making movement an essential investment in healthy ageing.
Dr Subodh Verma, a cardiovascular surgeon, scientist and professor at University of Toronto, is breaking down the powerful role exercise plays in slowing muscle ageing. In an Instagram video shared on July 8, the heart surgeon discusses a recent study that reveals how regular physical activity can help preserve muscle strength and delay age-related decline.
Study on exercise and muscle ageing
According to Dr Verma, exercise not only strengthens your muscles but may also help keep your muscle cells younger. He cites a new study that used advanced technology to examine human skeletal muscle at the cellular level, revealing how muscle cells change with age and how regular exercise can help counteract these age-related changes.
He highlights, “What if I told you that exercise not only makes your muscles stronger, but it actually may make your muscle cells younger? Well, a brand new study in Nature Aging looked deep inside human skeletal muscle and it used really advanced cellular ways to study these cells in the muscle.”
What did the study find?
Dr Verma states that the study found the expected signs of ageing in older adults who did not exercise regularly. In contrast, older adults who were physically active had muscle profiles that appeared significantly younger, even at the cellular level. The researchers also found that higher fitness levels were linked to a stronger ability to respond to muscle stress.
The heart surgeon explains, “In old adults who were not trained, the researchers saw that the expected ageing patterns were seen: lower signals for cellular respiration, lower mitochondrial function, and lower energy metabolism. In plain English, the muscle power plants were not working as well. But in trained older adults, their muscle profiles looked much like younger adults at the cellular level. In addition, and most remarkably, the stronger the fitness level, the stronger and more coordinated the response was to stress.”
The importance of exercise
Dr Verma emphasises that the key takeaway is that exercise is about far more than simply burning calories. According to him, physical activity signals your muscles to preserve energy, protect their mitochondria, manage cellular stress and remain resilient, all of which may help slow the ageing process.
He highlights, “Exercise is not just about burning calories; it’s a molecular signal. It tells your muscles to preserve energy, protect your mitochondria, manage stress, and stay resilient. Well, friends, ageing is real and inevitable. All of us are going to get old. But this study reminds us that movement can alter that response. So, exercise and train today and in many ways invest in shaping your future self.”
