Fitter dads help sons

THE level of exercise a man does can boost the mental health of their unborn sons, according to an Australian study.

A team of scientists at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Melbourne have identified molecular pathways found in sperm that transmit beneficial exercise-induced signals from fathers down to their male children.

The research on mice suggests sections of a person’s DNA known as non-coding RNAs – previously thought of as ‘‘junk’’ – get into the sperm and effect the genes that are responsible for the brain development and function of the male babies.