Older cyclists get a boost to their immune system

CYCLING has anti-ageing benefits and rejuvenates the immune system, a study has found. Scientists carried out tests on 125 amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79 and compared them with healthy adults from a wide age group who did not exercise regularly.

The findings showed that the cyclists preserved muscle mass and strength with age while maintaining stable levels of body fat and cholesterol. In men, testosterone levels remained high.

More surprisingly, however, the anti-ageing effects of cycling appeared to extend to the immune system. An organ called the thymus, which makes immune cells called T-cells, normally starts to shrink from the age of 20. However, the thymuses of older cyclists were found to be generating as many T-cells as those of younger people.

Prof Janet Lord, director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, said: “Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer, but not healthier.”

The non-exercising group consisted of 75 healthy people aged 57 to 80, and 55 aged 20 to 36. The research was published in the journal Aging Cell.