The Role of Nutri(epi)genomics in Achieving the Body’s Full Potential in Physical Activity

Abstract

Physical activity represents a powerful tool to achieve optimal health. The overall activation of several molecular pathways is associated with many beneficial effects, mainly converging towards a reduced systemic inflammation. Not surprisingly, regular activity can contribute to lowering the “epigenetic age”, acting as a modulator of risk toward several diseases and enhancing longevity. Behind this, there are complex molecular mechanisms induced by exercise, which modulate gene expression, also through epigenetic modifications. The exercise-induced epigenetic imprint can be transient or permanent and contributes to the muscle memory, which allows the skeletal muscle adaptation to environmental stimuli previously encountered. Nutrition, through key macro- and micronutrients with antioxidant properties, can play an important role in supporting skeletal muscle trophism and those molecular pathways triggering the beneficial effects of physical activity. Nutrients and antioxidant food components, reversibly altering the epigenetic imprint, have a big impact on the phenotype. This assigns a role of primary importance to nutri(epi)genomics, not only in optimizing physical performance, but also in promoting long term health. The crosstalk between physical activity and nutrition represents a major environmental pressure able to shape human genotypes and phenotypes, thus, choosing the right combination of lifestyle factors ensures health and longevity.

Nutri-Epigenetics and Gut Microbiota: How Birth Care, Bonding and Breastfeeding Can Influence and Be Influenced?

“…However, further research is required to establish if a link exists between maternal and infant epigenetic outcomes and the level of intervention/interference in the childbirth process [ 120 , 121 ], including mode of delivery [ 116 ]. Therefore, further investigation of the biologic/physiological processes in healthy childbearing women and fetus/newborn who have undergone unnecessary maternity care interventions is required [ 122 ] to offer new insights from an epigenetic perspective.…”

Analysis of the Impact of Selected Vitamins Deficiencies on the Risk of Disability in Older People

“…Nutrition can have a beneficial impact on physical activity through the provision of key nutrients with antioxidant properties (i.e., affecting molecular pathways in the skeletal muscles and epigenetic regulation). Thus, nutrition is not simply a source of energy [ 213 ]. Episodes of immobilization and reduced physical activity lead to a loss of muscle mass, which might worsen the older patient’s underlying disease or increase the level of frailty [ 214 , 215 ].…”

The Effect of Eight Weeks of Training on Positive and Negative Slopes with Royal Jelly Consumption on MGMT and ATPase Gene Expression Levels in the Hippocampus Tissue of Trimethyltin-Induced Alzheimer’s Rats

“…DNA repair in the nucleus, and mitochondria, appears to improve transcription of enzymes involved in aerobic metabolism (21). Also, phosphorylation of AMPK, increased expression of GLUT-4, NRF-1, and increased expression of protein kinase A, increase the transcription factors of mitochondrial DNA (22).…”

“…Also, ETPS + RJ increased ATPase gene expression in the hippocampus tissue of rats with AD. Although there are limited studies in this regard, it seems exercise with the BDNF/TRKB/CREB mechanism modulates the APE1, increase in NRF-1 and PKA expression reduces DNA damage markers in cells (12,21) and mitochondrial DNA (22). Nonetheless, depending on the different signaling pathways, the type of exercise depends on the activation of AMPK and mTOR (27), and the type of exercise has different effects on the activation of BDNF/TrkB by activating the cPKCα and PKCβI subunits in the synaptic space (28).…”