Same exercises, but different results. Mechanical links between fitness and health in general have not always been completely understood, nor are the reasons why the same activity may have different benefits in different people.
Now, a study led by researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and published in Nature Metabolism is trying to answer this question. The explanation they have found: the levels of certain proteins in the blood.
The results could be useful in determining specific types of exercise that are most likely to benefit a person and to identify new therapeutic targets for metabolism-related diseases.
Different answers
While the groups as a whole benefit from exercise, the variability in responses between two individuals who submit to the same exercise regime is actually quite surprising, Chief author Robert E explains in a statement. Gerszten, Head of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at BIDMC.
To obtain the results, blood levels of approximately 5,000 proteins were measured in 650 sedentary adults before and after a 20-week endurance exercise program.
We were particularly interested in observing proteins in the blood to study the effects of exercise because there is a growing body of evidence that shows that exercise stimulates the secretion of chemicals into the circulation that can impart their effects on distant organs, the researchers note.
The study identified “proteins emanating from bones, muscles, and blood vessels that are strongly related to cardiorespiratory fitness and had never been associated with the responses to physical training before.”
Protein score
With this information, the research team developed a protein score. Thanks to this list, it improved its ability to predict an individual’s training capacity. For example, the score identified people who were unable to significantly improve their cardiorespiratory condition despite participating in the standardized exercise program.
The reference levels of several proteins predicted who would respond to the training protocol with exercises much better than any of our established patient factors, Gerszten stressed.
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