Fathers Who Exercise Could Have Healthier Children
A new study suggests that male mice who exercise can pass on health benefits to their offspring, even when those offspring live sedentary lives and eat high-fat diets.
Researchers at The Ohio State University College of Medicine found that the offspring of active male mice had better glucose responses and lower insulin levels, key indicators of a healthier metabolism.
The surprising results, published in Diabetes, indicate that the benefits of exercise may be inherited, possibly through changes in small RNA molecules within sperm.
The study also found that sedentary fathers’ sperm contained fragments of transfer RNA, tiny molecular pieces that might interfere with normal metabolic development in offspring.
In contrast, sperm from the exercising fathers had fewer RNA fragments, potentially leading to stronger metabolic profiles in their young.
Experts call the study “solid” and “exciting,” noting that it builds on research showing how both negative and positive parental habits can shape a child’s long-term health.
While scientists caution that the findings haven’t yet been proven in humans, they believe the research offers hopeful insight: fathers’ exercise habits before conception could influence the health of future generations.
