The impact of physical exercise on genotoxicity in older adults: a systematic review

In the context of increasing life expectancy, a higher prevalence of age-related chronic diseases is becoming more common in the health landscape, many of which are closely linked to insufficient physical exercise during lifespan. On the other hand, aging is also associated with damage to various molecules, including DNA, by reactive oxygen species. Given that both senescence and muscle mass loss are intimately linked to increased levels of DNA damage and deterioration of antioxidant defense, this systematic review aims to evaluate whether regular physical exercise could indeed induce genotoxicity and to assess the quality of published articles on this topic. To achieve this objective, a total of 16 selected studies were meticulously analyzed by three experienced reviewers, who assigned scores to each study based on predetermined analysis parameters. Our results revealed that there is no consensus in the literature regarding genotoxicity induced by regular physical activity in older adults, regardless of the type, volume and intensity of exercise performed. In terms of quality assessment, 11 studies (out of 16) were categorized as Strong or Moderate, thus we consider our findings to be reliable. Undoubtedly, these findings are crucial for elucidating the role of regular physical exercise on genotoxicity-related biomarkers in older adults.