Washington DC, July 6 -- Researchers have uncovered a molecular "switch" that helps explain why exercise keeps ageing muscles healthy. By reducing levels of a gene called DEAF1, physical activity allows older muscles to clear out damage, repair themselves, and maintain strength.

A new study from Duke-NUS Medical School shows that physical activity can restore the natural repair systems that weaken with age, helping muscles recover and maintain function later in life.

The research team, working with collaborators from Singapore General Hospital and Cardiff University, found that exercise helps correct an important imbalance that develops inside ageing muscle cells.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sc...