when is it too late to start an exercise program in order to reap the benefits?
Preliminary results of a study being conducted by Kinesiology’s Dr. Russ Hepple and his research team, suggest the answer may be that it is never too late. Dr. Hepple explains the study. “Aging is associated with a loss of cardiac muscle cells which are replaced by fibrotic (thickened and scarred) tissue. This progressive increase in heart fibrosis leads to a stiffening of the heart and, as a result, a decrease in the amount of blood that can be pumped by the heart with aging. “Our study implemented exercise training in late-middle-aged (rats) and continued this into (old age) to cover an age range of about 65 to 82 years in human terms, to determine whether regular exercise could be protective to the heart and other tissues in very advanced age.” The study has been underway for several years. Kathryn Wright, a fifth-year exercise physiology major has been involved with the project since her third year, when she was in charge of putting the older rats through a regular exercise program
