A recent study has found out that cycling helps slow down ageing by boosting the immune system and muscles. According to the research, cycling keeps away the effects of ageing by strengthening the immune system. For the study, scientists carried out tests on 125 amateur cyclists aged between 55 to 79 and compared them with healthy adults from a wide age group who did not exercise regularly. According to the findings, two papers in the journal 'Aging Cell' says that cyclists preserved muscle mass and strength with age. They also maintained stable levels of body fat and cholesterol. Also in men, testosterone levels were found to be high.

And surprisingly, the anti-aging effects of cycling also extended to the immune system. An organ called the thymus, which makes immune cells called T-cells generally shrink from the age of 20. However, the thymuses of older cyclists were found to be generating as many T-cells as those of young people. It was found that female cyclists roughly had 28 percent body fat compared to nearer 40 percent for non-cyclists

Cyclists who took part in the study had to be able to cycle 100km in under 6.5 hours, while women had to cover 60km in 5.5 hours. For the non-exercising group, 75 healthy people aged 57 to 80 and 55 young adults aged 20 to 36 took part.

Taking about ageing, The Guardian quoted Professor Janet Lord, director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham as saying, "Hippocrates in 400BC said that exercise is man's best medicine, but his message has been lost over time and we are an increasingly sedentary society."

He added saying, "However, importantly, our findings debunk the assumption that ageing automatically makes us frailer. Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier."

Studies in the past have also proven that cycling has remarkable health benefits. Last April, a study published in the BMJ found that cycling regularly can cut the risk of death from all causes by more than 40 percent, and also reduce the risk of cancer and heart. Experts are also of the opinion that cycling improves rider's mental health. Cycling regularly makes one less prone to depression tha those to use other modes of transportation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 09, 2018 05:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).