CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

Cycling really does keep you young

(12 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by fimm
  • Latest reply from I were right about that saddle

Tags:


  1. fimm
    Member

    "scientists ... followed 125 long-distance cyclists, some now in their 80s, and found they had the immune systems of 20-year-olds."

    Prof Janet Lord, ... co-author of the research, said: "The immune system declines by about 2-3% a year from our 20s, which is why older people are more susceptible to infections, conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and, potentially, cancer.

    "Because the cyclists have the immune system of a 20-year-old rather than a 70- or 80-year-old, it means they have added protection against all these issues."

    They found that the endurance cyclists were producing the same level of T-cells as adults in their 20s, whereas a group of inactive older adults were producing very few."

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. steveo
    Member

    I remember reading a study that suggested adrenaline sports which cause manageable stress such as mtb or rugby increase the immune systems response. My conclusion from these studies is that commuting keeps you healthy due to the stress of the environment not the actual act of cycling!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. glasgow megasnake
    Member

    this could be a way for me to start being able to thank drivers that cut me up rather than (struggling to) suppress(ing) my reaction

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. crowriver
    Member

    "They are members of Audax, a long-distance cycling organisation that organises events ranging from 100km to 300km. The older members - in their 80s - say they do only the "short" 100km (62-mile) rides, but this is still highly impressive."

    If I needed a reason to keep going with Audaxing, there it is.

    (Checks AUK calendar for forthcoming events).

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. Greenroofer
    Member

    I've paid my £19 to AUK, does that mean I'll have the body of a 20 year old?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. HankChief
    Member

    Steady on Greenroofer if you get any younger you won't have a significant birthday this year so no N+1 ;-)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. minus six
    Member

    sad that the bbc title their article as general "exercise" not cycling, despite the study sample being entirely cyclist-related

    that said i trust no one here has ever been daft enough to pay the state propaganda license fee

    hmm?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    "does that mean I'll have the body of a 20 year old?"

    No. You get the immune system of a 20 year old, and the body fat of a 19 year old. But only once you reach your 80s... :-)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. gembo
    Member

    @bax-San. Not just sad, inaccurate. Not all exercise will do this. I had a colleague many moons ago who was discussing her objectification of a male cyclist from behind, where he seemed firm, manly and youthful to her gaze but then to her disappointment he turned around and was an old man.

    I used to apply that logic, I am happy consuming this propaganda as I am not paying for it. But then I was subject to several years of continuous harassment. Door bell ringing, attempting to gain entry to the communal stairwell, letters etc for a telly I was renting for £2.54 a month from Glens, Hutchison, Robertson's and Stepek

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. gibbo
    Member

    @gembo

    @bax-San. Not just sad, inaccurate. Not all exercise will do this.

    100% correct. You can't generalise the results from "exercise programme A" to all exercise programmes.

    For example, if I were to guess, I'd guess that a key part of these immune system benefits come from exercising outdoors.

    I might also guess that there are even more factors: zero impact, social element ... and so on...

    To sum up: Cycling is great.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. sallyhinch
    Member

    Also makes you less grumpy, apparently (the evidence from this forum notwithstanding) https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/02/23/adopting-a-more-active-lifestyle-today-could-have-benefits-for-your-personality-decades-from-now/

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    the evidence from this forum notwithstanding

    We'd need a randomised double blind trial for that sentence to stand up to scrutiny.

    Posted 7 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin