Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Clore, Amy

Area of Concentration

Biology, Spanish Language and Culture

Abstract

Telomeres are regions of repetitive DNA-protein sequences found at chromosomal ends. They play a crucial role in preserving the information in our genome by protecting the ends of chromosomes from fraying or tangling. Each time a cell divides, a small portion of telomeric DNA is lost and telomeres become slightly shorter until the cell can no longer divide properly, and the cell undergoes replicative senescence or apoptotic cell death. Telomere length is associated with a number of age-related diseases, lifespan, and cancer. Different factors that have an effect on telomere length, like oxidative stress and telomerase activity, are reviewed in this thesis to discuss how shorter telomeres could possibly be prevented or treated depending on the lifestyle a person leads, and more specifically, with the addition of exercise into daily life routine. Although the exact molecular mechanism by which exercise and telomere length are connected is not yet fully known, there is evidence that shows that exercise could have an effect on both oxidative stress reduction and increased telomerase activity. Evidence is presented showing that certain types of exercise like endurance, interval, and resistance training lead to reduced telomere attrition by upregulating antioxidants like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase (CAT), which work together to diminish oxidative stress. Additionally, studies have also shown that exercise increases telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene expression, and telomerase activity. Because understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms is crucial to finding ways to slow down cell aging and prevent/treat age-related diseases, I propose a study that would give a better idea into how moderate exercise affects both antioxidant and telomerase activity and their association with telomere length in different age groups. This study would also take into consideration how different covariates like gender, parental age, prenatal conditions, early life, and ethnicity and race could impact the effect of exercise on telomere length on people with different experiences. Because it would just be a pilot study, future studies should include more participants and age groups, as well as people with various disabilities, and look into the effect of different exercise modalities on telomere length.

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