Jo. Holloszy, EXERCISE INCREASES AVERAGE LONGEVITY OF FEMALE RATS DESPITE INCREASEDFOOD-INTAKE AND NO GROWTH-RETARDATION, Journal of gerontology, 48(3), 1993, pp. 97-100
In previous studies, male rats given access to voluntary running wheel
s showed improved survival. Because the male runners did not increase
food intake, it was not clear whether their improvement in average lon
gevity was due to decreased availability of energy for cell proliferat
ion and growth or to another effect of exercise. In this study, female
rats, which increase their food intake in response to wheel running,
were used to determine whether exercise can increase longevity when av
ailability of energy for cell proliferation and growth is not decrease
d. At age 5 mo, the female voluntary wheel runners were running 9173 /- 3640 m/day (mean +/-SD); running distance declined to 965 +/- 483 m
ld by age 34 mo. From 5 mo to 10 mo of age, the runners ate approximat
ely 37% more than the sedentary rats. Thereafter, the runners ate appr
oximately 20% more. The runners and sedentary rats attained similar pe
ak body weights. However, the runners gained weight more rapidly, atta
ining steady state by 11 mo; the sedentary rats' weights did not plate
au until approximately 15 mo. The runners had a significant prolongati
on of average longevity without an increase in maximal life span. The
sedentary rats' average age at death was 924 +/- 155 days (mean +/- SD
; range, 619-1263 d) compared to 1009 +/- 132 days (range, 693-1259 d)
for the runners, p < .001. These results show that exercise improves
average longevity of rats independent of decreased availability of ene
rgy for cell proliferation and growth. They also provide evidence that
an increase in food intake is not harmful when balanced by an increas
e in energy expenditure.