Study on twins a new look at active lifestyles

A recent study on twins who followed different lifestyles has given a new look at how exercise affects health.

Genetics can play a major role in an individual’s approach and response to physical activity. This makes identical twins a valuable commodity because they carry the same DNA and, if raised under the same roof, had very similar upbringings. But even after they’ve grown up and moved apart, twins tend to follow similar habits they formed during their youth and live similar lifestyles. Finding sets of twins with different physical activity levels can be tough.

The new research looked at ten sets of identical male twins from Finland who were raised together but, in their 30s, began taking different approaches to their physical health. One from each maintained an active lifestyle while the other did not. Though a unique and interesting study, the results won’t come as a major surprise to anyone who is familiar with the benefits of an active lifestyle.

The twins who regularly exercised showed better endurance than their brothers, had lower body fat levels and were at a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This is not particularly surprising, though the active twins also had more grey matter in their brains, suggesting they may be benefiting mentally as well from the exercise.

The study uses a small sample group and was not randomized, so the results must be looked at with some skepticism, but the idea of doing a larger-scale test on twins similar to this one is exciting, though finding enough participants who fit the requirements will prove difficult.