Have you ever heard of the term ‘Hormesis’? Watch the video above or read on. You’re forgiven if you havn’t heard of it, it’s not exactly a commonly used term. What you should know is that if you understand the process of hormesis, you’ll know how to live your healthiest and longest life. Hormesis refers to the way your body adapts to stress in a positive way. Stress either in your environment or from self imposed behaviour. Hormesis prepares your body to be stronger and more able to handle those stressors if they return and by default this makes you BETTER. Imagine if you’d never needed to endure illness, stress at work, sprints for the bus or huge fluctuations in temperature? How would you be able to handle what life throws at you? You need stress throughout your life so you can adapt and become resilient. For this reason it’s no wonder hormesis is considered a huge part of the evolution of all organisms on this planet.
The Anti-Ageing Part
So how does it help with anti-ageing? Healthy stress causes your bodily systems to be thrown off balance and they then strive to return your balance. This keeps your cells ‘on their toes’ and promotes increased cell renewal, improved cell and tissue repair and improved resistance to disease through the build up of anti bodies, all of which protect you from early demise! But more specifically, in your cells you have a bunch of genes that not only improve life span but also increase vitality. Examples are groups of genes named sirtuins and mTOR which all have an influence on the longevity of the cell, and therefore you. When exposed to a stressor for the right amount of time, the process of hormesis kicks in which triggers these genes to promote conservation and protection of your body. These are types of stressors that trigger the process of hormesis:
- Intermittent Fasting or Time Restricted Feeding (TRF)
- Calorie restriction
- Moderate to high intensity exercise
- Cold temperatures
- Eating phytonutrients in plants
For the purpose of this article I’ll be focussing on just two of these, exercise and TRF.
Pump It!
Regular exercise not only improves the health of your systems from muscles, heart, bone and brain, but it also prevents the onset of age related processes and diseases. Exercise is very much a stress though, and although it has benefits, at the time of exercise your body releases harmful chemicals that must be quickly neutralised before they cause damage, such as free radicals. But, the fitter you are, the more able you are to neutralise these harmful chemicals and therefore cell damage is kept to a minimum. Fortunately it’s never too late to begin exercising and gaining the positive anti ageing results. You can start at any age and reap the benefits at a cellular level. The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) recommend that you exercise a minimum of 3 times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time. This should be increased as your fitness level improves. Exercises include:
- Cardiovascular training (walking, running, cycling, swimming)
- Strength and endurance training (weights or body weight)
- Flexibility (yoga, stretching)
In order to switch on your longevity genes, high intensity exercise is optimal, followed closely by moderate intensity. Most importantly choose exercise that you enjoy and are happy to maintain, that’s the most important thing for consistency and longevity.
Time Your Feeding
Calorie restriction and/or TRF have long been known to promote anti ageing in both humans and animals. Typically in mouse studies two groups are given either 20-40% less calories than normal or an intermittent fasting protocol. Both result in anti ageing benefits including softer fur, brighter eyes and more energy than those who ate normally. Now I’m not for one second encouraging anyone to eat 20-40% less calories. You should seek professional guidance before making that choice. I’m suggesting that if you already eat too much, too often, then there’re ways to switch on your longevity genes!TRF is one of the easiest ways to do this. If you confine eating to a window of time each day, you’ll not only likely reduce calories but you’ll also give your body time to reboot during fasting periods. The common options of TRF are as follows (fasting: feeding):
- 12:12
- 16:8
- 18:6
- 20:4
If you’re new to TRF I’d recommend starting at the top of the list and gradually making your way down as your experience and knowledge increases. But, there’s no need to eat in a short 4-6 hour window to gain the benefits of TRF. My personal favourite is 16:8 mainly because it not only fits into my personal routine but it also allows me to eat 3 solid meals each day. Please ask for nutritional guidance if you’re considering reducing calories or eating in windows of 6 hours or less.
Goldilocks
As you know, too much of anything can be harmful. So the key to exercise and TRF is that the recommendations above are based on short periods of time. However be warned that on the flip side, if you restrict too many calories over too long a period of time, or if you exercise way beyond your capabilities and overtrain, you’ll miss the point and begin promoting early ageing.Like Goldilocks, you need to do just enough so it’s just right for you.
References
Rattan, S.I.S. Demirovic, D. (2010). ‘Hormesis can and does work in humans’, Dose Response, 8(1), pp.58-63. Marques, F.Z. et al. (2010). ‘Hormesis as a pro-healthy ageing intervention in human beings?’, Dose Response, 8(1), pp.28-33.Hayes, D.P. (2006). ‘Nutritional Hormesis’, EJCN, 61, pp.147-159.Sinclair, D. (2019). ‘Lifespan’. 1st Ed. Harper Collins, London.
