Human study · Exercise · 13 Oct 2026
Cellular recycling rates differed by cell type and by sex
Source: ScienceDaily
What the research found
ScienceDaily reported on 13 October 2026 a Sanford Burnham Prebys study in Aging Cell. Blood and skin from healthy volunteers ages 23 to 72, plus neurons made from some of those skin cells, were tested for autophagy, the cell’s recycling of damaged parts. Recycling fell with age in skin cells from men, stayed about steady in skin cells from women, and rose with age in neurons made from women’s cells. Gene-activity readouts did not reliably match the measured recycling rate. Among people 70 and older, higher recycling lined up with poorer fitness or strength measures, depending on the cell type. A separate pilot of five people ages 77 to 88, before and after 12 weeks of fall-prevention movements, suggested blood-cell recycling moved toward levels seen in younger adults. That pilot is too small to guide practice. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
More exercise news
- In 13,423 adults ages 65 and older, higher balance, strength, and march scores lined up with a lower chance of dying over seven years
- In 1,917 Mexican adults ages 50 and older, a weaker handgrip lined up with a higher chance of dying, and the link was stronger in men
- In a rodent model, tongue exercise raised output from surviving motor neurons
- Both orders of complex training improved fitness measures in 25 male university athletes
- Resistance exercise plus essential amino acid intake beat either one alone for muscle fitness in women over 65