Recent physical activity in relation to DNA damage and repair using the comet assay
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Limited evidence suggests that very high-intensity exercise is positively associated with DNA damage but moderate exercise may be associated with DNA repair. METHODS: Participants were 220 healthy, Washington State 50- to 76-year-olds in the validity/biomarker substudy of the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort, who provided blood samples and completed questionnaires assessing recent physical activity and demographic and health factors. Measures included nested activity subsets: total activity, moderate- plus high-intensity activity, and high-intensity activity. DNA damage (n = 122) and repair (n = 99) were measured using the comet assay. Multivariate linear regression was used to estimate regression coefficients and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for relationships between MET-hours per week of activity and each DNA outcome (damage, and 15- and 60-minute repair capacities). RESULTS: DNA damage was not associated with any measure of activity. However, 60-minute DNA repair was positively associated with both total activity (β = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.0057-0.412; P = .044) and high-intensity activity (β = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.20-0.60; P = .036), adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and current multivitamin use. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to assess broad ranges of activity intensity levels related to DNA damage and repair. Physical activity was unrelated to DNA damage but was associated with increased repair.
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In humans, a cross-sectional study of approximately 100 healthy women and men aged 50-72 yr did not show an association between self-reported physical activity and DNA damage measured via comet assay.
“In humans, a cross-sectional study of approximately 100 healthy women and men aged 50–72 yr did not show an association between self-reported physical activity and DNA damage (measured via comet assay), but reported a positive association between both physical activity and high-intensity physical activity (metabolic equivalent task (MET) values ≥6) and DNA repair in lymphocytes (15).”
From Exercise Counters the Age-Related Accumulation of Senescent Cells (2022) · cites this paper as [15]
In that study, both physical activity and high-intensity physical activity (MET values ≥6) were positively associated with DNA repair in lymphocytes.
“In humans, a cross-sectional study of approximately 100 healthy women and men aged 50–72 yr did not show an association between self-reported physical activity and DNA damage (measured via comet assay), but reported a positive association between both physical activity and high-intensity physical activity (metabolic equivalent task (MET) values ≥6) and DNA repair in lymphocytes (15).”
From Exercise Counters the Age-Related Accumulation of Senescent Cells (2022) · cites this paper as [15]
The combination of moderate- and high-intensity activity (MET values ≥4) was associated with a trend for 25% higher DNA repair.
“The combination of moderate- and high-intensity activity (activities with MET values ≥4) also was associated with a trend for 25% higher DNA repair.”
From Exercise Counters the Age-Related Accumulation of Senescent Cells (2022) · cites this paper as [15]
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- Authors
- Cash, S. W., Beresford, S. A. A., Vaughan, T. L., Heagerty, P. J., Bernstein, L., White, E., & Neuhouser, M. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- City Of Hope National Medical Center (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Physical Activity and Health
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2014-05
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 770-776
- ISSN
- 1543-3080 (ISSN-L)
- 1543-5474
- PMC
- PMC3844056
- OpenAlex
- W2135798904
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 4.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Physical Activity and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Washington State University
- National Institutes of Health
- National Cancer Institute (R03CA105336, R01CA074846, K05CA136967, R25CA092408, K05CA154337, R01 CA 74846, K05CA124911)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- physical activity, DNA damage, DNA repair, high-intensity exercise, moderate-intensity exercise, exercise intensity, DNA repair capacity, older adults
- MeSH terms
- Aged, DNA Damage, DNA Repair, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Washington, Exercise, Body Mass Index, Comet Assay
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