Human study · Exercise · 28 Oct 2026
In 176 middle-aged men, body fat accounted for the aging-marker links that a masculine build did not
Source: EurekAlert
What the research found
EurekAlert posted this on 28 October 2026. Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz and colleagues at the University of Wrocław report a cross-sectional study in Aging-US (volume 18; paper date 6 October 2026; DOI 10.18632/aging.206427). The sample was 176 generally healthy men, mean age about 53.8 years. Masculine-build measures, including shoulder-to-hip ratio, facial ratios, the 2D:4D finger ratio, grip, and torso strength, were not independently tied to the aging markers after adjustment. A higher fat-free mass percent lined up with lower hsCRP, IL-6, and TNF-alpha and with higher growth hormone. A higher waist-to-chest ratio lined up with more inflammation. After adjustment for adiposity, age, cortisol, activity, smoking, and chronic disease, those links were no longer independent. Testosterone did not independently predict the markers after adjustment and correction for multiple testing. Three principal components explained about 65 percent of the trait variation, and none predicted the aging markers after adjustment. The study is not causal and did not use epigenetic clocks. It does not show that changing body build changes the markers. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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