Exercise Can Change the Very Molecules in the Human Body That Influence How Genes Behave

 
Study Summary

This study collected cheek swabs of 70 pairs of identical twins who also participated in an exercise study through the Washington State Twin Registry. They used fitness trackers to measure physical activity and measured the participants’ waistlines and body mass indexes. The twins also answered survey questions about their lifestyles and neighborhoods. The findings show that exercise, through epigenetics, is affecting various cell types, including those involved in metabolic disease.

 
Study Citation

Duncan, G. E., Avery, A., Thorson, J. L. M., Nilsson, E. E., Beck, D., & Skinner, M. K. (2022). Epigenome-wide association study of physical activity and physiological parameters in discordant monozygotic twins. Scientific Reports, 12, 20166. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24642-3