Exercise training as a drug to treat age associated frailty

• Published in: Free radical biology & medicine Vol. 98; pp. 159 - 164
• Main Authors: Viña, Jose, Salvador-Pascual, Andrea, Tarazona-Santabalbina, Francisco Jose, Rodriguez-Mañas, Leocadio, Gomez-Cabrera, Mari Carmen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-09-2016
• Subjects: Aging; Aging - physiology; Antioxidant; Exercise; Frailty - etiology; Frailty - therapy; Free Radicals - metabolism; Humans; Mitochondria - metabolism; mTOR; Multicomponent exercise; Oxidative Stress; PGC-1α; Reactive oxygen species; ROS signalling; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; Oxidative stress; ROS signalling; Reactive oxygen species; Multicomponent exercise; mTOR; Aging; PGC-1α; Antioxidant
• ISSN: 0891-5849; 1873-4596
• DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2016.03.024

Exercise causes an increase in the production of free radicals [1]. As a result of a hormetic mechanism antioxidant enzymes are synthesised and the cells are protected against further oxidative stress. Thus, exercise can be considered as an antioxidant [2]. Age-associated frailty is a major medical and social concern as it can easily lead to dependency.
In this review we describe that oxidative stress is associated with frailty and the mechanism by which exercise prevents age-associated frailty. We propose that individually tailored multicomponent exercise programmes are one of the best ways to prevent and to treat age-associated frailty.
•Age-associated frailty is a major medical concern as it can easily lead to dependency.•Oxidative stress is associated with frailty.•Tailored multicomponent exercise programmes are the best ways to treat frailty.