A fascinating research reports that the regular exercise stimulates the production by the kidneys of an anti-inflammatory molecule which slows down the aging process: betain.
It is well established that regular physical activity gives considerable profits to health and represents without the shadow of a doubt one of the pillars of the prevention of chronic diseases, as much from a physical point of view as from the mental point of view. In the long term, the exercise improves immune function, the potential for renewing stem cells (and therefore the capacity for regeneration of tissues), neuroplasticity and cognitive performance as well as several aspects of metabolism (increase in sensitivity to insulin and decrease in chronic inflammation, for example). The studies carried out on animal models show that, collectively, these effects prolong healthy lifespan by delaying aging and strengthening resistance to infections (1).
Human adaptations to exercise
A recent study was interested in physiological adaptations caused by regular exercise in humans (2). To get there, the researchers asked relatively sedentary men to run 5 kilometers – first every day, then every day – for 25 days. In parallel, researchers used high -level biochemical approaches (proteomics, metabolomics and transcriptomic) to measure a wide range of metabolites in their body before and after the exercise program.
This approach made it possible to confirm, as generally, the data acquired in animal models, that is to say that the regular exercise decreases the markers of inflammation, in particular the HSCRP and the TNF-alpha, and, conversely, increases the proteins and antioxidant ways called geroprotective (anti-aging), such as NRF2, sod1 and glutathion. These adaptations help protect the body from inflammatory and oxidative stress, which contributes to aging and the development of all chronic diseases.
Renal contribution
A completely unexpected result of the study is however the identification of a betaine, the threethylglycin, as one of the molecules whose quantities are the most increased following a regular exercise program. Curiously, it is the kidneys who are responsible for this effect of the exercise: the researchers have indeed observed that the enzyme responsible for the production of betain (dehydrogenase choline) was preferentially activated at the level of this organ and generated significant quantities of betainne which later broadcast in the entire body via blood circulation. Betaine then acts as an inhibitor of a protein called “tank-binding kinase 1” (TBK1), an enzyme that plays an extremely important role in the control of immunity and inflammation.
The importance of this biochemical phenomenon in the benefits of the exercise is well illustrated by experiences in which researchers administered betaine to elderly rodents. They then observed that the molecule had several important effects which overthrew the effects of aging:
- A decrease in cellular senescence, a key marker of organic aging;
- An improvement in the grip force;
- An increase in muscle mass;
- An improvement in cognitive performance.
These observations nevertheless show how much physical activity has measurable biochemical repercussions on the functioning of the body and represents, to date, the best way to slow aging and improve the probabilities of living long healthy.
References
(1) MoTrPAC Study Group. Temporal dynamics of the multi-omic response to endurance exercise training. Nature 2024; 629: 174-183.
(2) Geng L et al. Systematic Profiles Reveals Betaine as an Exeerci Mimetic for Geroprotection. Cell, published on June 25, 2025.
