The physical activity a woman does before child-bearing etches itself into her cells in ways that mean the benefits of exercise can be passed on to later generations, including grandchildren

The physical activity a woman does before child-bearing etches itself into her cells in ways that mean the benefits of exercise can be passed on to later generations, including children and grandchildren.

These are the findings of a study that suggests grandmaternal exercise has profound effects on the metabolic health of grand offspring as they age.

Conducted by a team at Harvard Medical School, the study shows that grandmaternal exercise improves glucose tolerance in adult male and female grandchildren, even in the absence of any exercise undertaken by them.

Striking effects
Scientists also observed that grandmaternal exercise was linked to decreased fat mass in grand offspring, regardless of whether the grandmothers ate a healthy diet or a diet high in fat.

As a result, the study concludes that grandmaternal exercise has beneficial effects on the metabolic health of grand offspring, demonstrating an important means by which exercise before and during pregnancy could help reduce the worldwide incidence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

The research observed two sets of males and females up to the age of one-year-old. In one group, the grandmother had been physically active, in the other, she had not been. In both groups, the parents of the males and females were inactive.

After studying the grand offspring for a year, the researchers observed that grandmaternal exercise was linked to decreased bodyweight and increased bone mineral density in second-generation male offspring independent of grandmaternal diet.

Second-generation male and females with exercise-trained grandmothers also had lower fat mass.

When the researchers performed glucose tolerance tests, they found second-generation males and females from sedentary grandmothers showed worsening glucose tolerance with age.

The grand offspring from exercise-trained grandmothers, however, did not have this age-related decline in glucose tolerance, having markedly better metabolic health compared to grand offspring from sedentary grandmothers. Grandmaternal diets also had little impact on glucose tolerance, with the major variable being exercise.

More: www.HCMmag.com/offspring