Your mitochondria age too—but exercise may preserve their function remarkably well. In one study, adults in their 20s and 70s completed 12 weeks of aerobic cycling. Both groups increased proteins involved in building and maintaining mitochondria, although the younger adults showed larger absolute improvements in aerobic capacity. But the long-term data are even more interesting. Researchers compared younger active adults, older active adults, and older sedentary adults. The older active group had mitochondrial protein levels similar to the younger group, while sedentary older adults had substantially lower levels. Researchers then directly measured mitochondrial ATP production—the ability of mitochondria to actually generate cellular energy. Again, older active adults performed similarly to young active adults, despite the decades separating them. There is an important limitation: the long-term study was observational, so we can’t say exercise alone caused these differences. Still, the results suggest that age itself does not necessarily mean dramatically dysfunctional mitochondria. How to Use This: Stay physically active throughout life, and include regular aerobic exercise. Even older adults can improve mitochondrial biology with training, although starting earlier gives you more time to preserve it. Want to know more about how exercise changes mitochondria and how you can apply this research? My complete analysis also includes access to my seminar on mitochondrial health through my Physionic Insider membership. The link to join is in my bio. How much aerobic exercise do you currently get each week? References: Konopka AR, et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014;69(4):371-378. Distefano G, et al. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2018;9(2):279-294.