The researchers found that exercise and caffeine can alter the composition of human DNA. Genetic code that underlies the formation of human muscle does not change with exercise. However, DNA molecules in the muscle will change chemically and structurally.
Change (modification) of DNA at a particular location would have an impact on determining the genetic reprogramming of muscle strength and ultimately affect the structural and metabolic benefits of exercise. "Our muscles really flexible," said Juleen Zierath of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, last week.
According Zierath, muscles adapt to what you do. If you do not use it, you will lose muscle function. He has published its findings in the March issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.
Zierath said the changes are known as epigenetic modifications of DNA, involving loss or increase in the four nitrogenous bases making up DNA, namely Adenine (As), Guanine (Gs), Thymine (Is), and Cytosine (Cs).
Recent studies show DNA in the muscle men who completed exercise contains elements of chemistry, in particular methyl group, in smaller amounts than before exercise. Changes occur due to stretching of the DNA which activate the genes essential to make the muscles adapt to exercise.
In the laboratory, Zierath and colleagues examined the effect of exercise and caffeine on muscle cell DNA. When muscle cells are conditioned to a contraction, they find there are parts of DNA are missing, namely the methyl group. Muscle cells through the same thing when given caffeine. From these findings, they concluded that caffeine gives the same effect as the muscle contractions that occur when humans exercise.
In general, Zierath research provides more evidence that the human genome is much more dynamic than previously thought. Epigenetic modifications can activate or deactivate a gene flexibly. This mechanism allows the DNA in the cells of the human body adapts.
"Exercise is medicine," says Zierath, describing the benefits of exercise has been shown to alter the human genome to be more healthy. *** [SCIENCEDAILY | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 3821]
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