Protein NOX4 Declines With Age and Inactivity in Mice and Men

A protein called NOX4 naturally declines with age and inactivity, according to research published in the journal Science Advances. Researchers observed signs of frailty, muscle loss, insulin resistance and liver disease in mice as NOX4 levels dropped. The team found that NOX4 helps muscles repair themselves and adapt to the physical demands of exercise.

When NOX4 was removed from the muscles of mice, the animals became weaker, lost muscle mass and developed health problems commonly associated with aging. Exercise helped restore NOX4 levels in older mice. The researchers also examined muscle samples from younger and older men and found similar declines in NOX4.

Josephine Hunt, an educational leader, former group fitness instructor and founder of The Resilience Revolution based in New Jersey, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that the findings help explain why exercise benefits so many aspects of health.

"Movement is medicine," Hunt said. "The emerging NOX4 research is exciting because it helps explain something exercise scientists have observed for decades.

Hunt said many people view exercise as a way to improve appearance or fitness, but its effects reach much deeper. "Exercise appears to activate biological signaling pathways that help the body adapt, repair and become more resilient over time," she said. She said one of the study's biggest takeaways is that physical activity helps the body maintain its ability to recover from challenges.

"Exercise does not simply help us look younger or stay physically fit," Hunt said. " Hunt added that healthy aging is about more than simply living longer. "Healthy aging is not just about adding years to life," she said.

Researchers stressed that additional studies are needed. The study was conducted in mice, meaning the findings do not necessarily translate directly to humans.