{"id":135851,"date":"2022-06-21T08:47:57","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T06:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/aldringsforskerens-bedste-raad-til-dig-der-vil-vaere-yngre-laengere\/"},"modified":"2022-06-21T10:29:33","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T08:29:33","slug":"how-to-stay-young-tips-from-the-science-of-ageing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/how-to-stay-young-tips-from-the-science-of-ageing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stay young: Tips from the science of ageing"},"content":{"rendered":"

M<\/span>orten Scheibye-Knudsen is a medical doctor and a scientist in the field of ageing. He is 42. But the man who offers me a cup of coffee in his lab at the Maersk Tower looks significantly younger. Maybe because he uses his research results on his own body. He wants to live a long, healthy life.<\/p>\n

That we even have an old age that we have to deal with is relatively new, he says.<\/p>\n

\u00bb200 years ago, our lifespan was 40 years. Since then, we’ve been given clean drinking water, we discovered penicillin, and so here we are today. And we can easily imagine something that will significantly change our longevity. I believe this.\u00ab<\/p>\n

A large part of age’s effect on the body is happening without our being aware of it. As we grow old, we accumulate damage to our DNA and proteins. We accumulate protein waste in our cells, which we cannot get rid of, and we lose stem cells. According to Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, one of the worst things you can do for your health is to grow older.<\/p>\n

\u00bbYou get the vast majority of chronic diseases when you are older. Growing older is much, much, much worse for your health than being overweight for example. Something happens when we get older, which has us becoming more vulnerable.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Interrupt the relationship between old age and illness<\/h3>\n

Imagine that you have done everything wrong in terms of your health. You have smoked cigarettes, drunk alcohol, avoided exercise, eaten too much, and eaten bad foods. With this lifestyle you increase the risk of developing cancer by 75 per cent, according to Morten Scheibye-Knudsen.<\/p>\n

It sounds like a lot. But this is nothing compared to the heightened risk of developing cancer that occurs from just getting older. If you overnight went from being ten years old to 60, your risk of developing cancer over the next 30 years would increase by 3,500 per cent. Just because you had become 50 years older.<\/p>\n

Morten Scheibye Knudsen’s research group is working on developing molecules that can repair DNA. If it works, the research can end up being revolutionary. And even though we, until this happens, seem to be unable to control the effects of ageing on our bodies, there are some things we can do. Because the ageing of the cells is not an isolated process. And there are things you can do to make sure that old age is not necessarily equated with illness.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Diving into the fountain of youth<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Morten Scheibye-Knudsen says that you can start by looking into a mirror if you want an indication of what your biological age is. Do you have a lot of wrinkles, or only a few wrinkles, compared to your age group? You can have a biological age of 44, even though it says you are 57 on your birth certificate. Here are a couple of life hacks from the scientist of ageing to those of you who would like to live a long, healthy life.<\/p>\n

Consider fasting<\/h3>\n

Research indicates that fasting, that is, having a period of not eating, is a good thing for your body and for your future old age. During a fasting period, blood glucose levels fall. You give your pancreas, that produces insulin, a break, and some processes are activated that clean up the trash in your cells, so you optimize your cells a bit.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Could you simply not eat for a day?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Morten Scheibye-Knudsen himself fasts from 20:00 in the evening to 12:00 noon the next day. But you can also fast for whole days or for several days in a row if you are more hard core.<\/p>\n

Enjoy your coffee and chocolate<\/h3>\n

Scientist of ageing Morten Scheiby Knudsen loves his coffee and dark chocolate. Lucky for him, as both of these things are healthy. Coffee is one of the few healthy stimulants. No one knows why exactly, but in many plant-based foods there are chemicals which acts as a kind of defence mechanism for the plant. They can be slightly toxic for people like us, but they are positive for the ageing process. Dark chocolate contains a lot of antioxidants, which are probably healthy also.<\/p>\n

Get your pulse racing<\/h3>\n

Here is a piece of advice that you know already: You should exercise. But maybe you don’t know how important it is. According to Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, it is, for example, much worse to be inactive than to be overweight. In fact, it’s three times as bad.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Scientists: 10-20-30 series of intervals is the most effective training<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Quit the cigarettes<\/h3>\n

You most likely know it, but smoking really sucks for your health. As a smoker, you have a far greater risk of developing life-threatening illnesses earlier in life than non-smokers, so stay away from the smokes.
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The worst thing you can do for your health is to grow old. But if you do grow old, and still want to stay healthy, you can do a few things that will help. 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ageing","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":false,"contributors":[{"use_registered_user":true,"user":{"ID":79,"user_firstname":"Sally","user_lastname":"Frydenlund","nickname":"Sally Frydenlund","user_nicename":"sally-frydenlund","display_name":"Sally Frydenlund","user_email":"sally.frydenlund@uniavisen.dk","user_url":"","user_registered":"2020-10-01 09:17:49","user_description":"","user_avatar":"<img alt='' src='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fbaf447479f47ad037f7256944bc75b2f0f090f079be3f46d9f4944ab5b13db1?s=96&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fbaf447479f47ad037f7256944bc75b2f0f090f079be3f46d9f4944ab5b13db1?s=192&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' loading='lazy' decoding='async'\/>"},"contributor_name":"","contributor_title":"","contributor_image":false}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p><span class=\"dropcap\">M<\/span>orten Scheibye-Knudsen is a medical doctor and a scientist in the field of ageing. He is 42. But the man who offers me a cup of coffee in his lab at the Maersk Tower looks significantly younger. Maybe because he uses his research results on his own body. He wants to live a long, healthy life.<\/p>\n<p>That we even have an old age that we have to deal with is relatively new, he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bb200 years ago, our lifespan was 40 years. Since then, we’ve been given clean drinking water, we discovered penicillin, and so here we are today. And we can easily imagine something that will significantly change our longevity. I believe this.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>A large part of age’s effect on the body is happening without our being aware of it. As we grow old, we accumulate damage to our DNA and proteins. We accumulate protein waste in our cells, which we cannot get rid of, and we lose stem cells. According to Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, one of the worst things you can do for your health is to grow older.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYou get the vast majority of chronic diseases when you are older. Growing older is much, much, much worse for your health than being overweight for example. Something happens when we get older, which has us becoming more vulnerable.\u00ab<\/p>\n<h3>Interrupt the relationship between old age and illness<\/h3>\n<p>Imagine that you have done everything wrong in terms of your health. You have smoked cigarettes, drunk alcohol, avoided exercise, eaten too much, and eaten bad foods. With this lifestyle you increase the risk of developing cancer by 75 per cent, according to Morten Scheibye-Knudsen.<\/p>\n<p>It sounds like a lot. But this is nothing compared to the heightened risk of developing cancer that occurs from just getting older. If you overnight went from being ten years old to 60, your risk of developing cancer over the next 30 years would increase by 3,500 per cent. Just because you had become 50 years older.<\/p>\n<p>Morten Scheibye Knudsen’s research group is working on developing molecules that can repair DNA. If it works, the research can end up being revolutionary. And even though we, until this happens, seem to be unable to control the effects of ageing on our bodies, there are some things we can do. Because the ageing of the cells is not an isolated process. And there are things you can do to make sure that old age is not necessarily equated with illness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/diving-into-the-fountain-of-youth\/\">Diving into the fountain of youth<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Morten Scheibye-Knudsen says that you can start by looking into a mirror if you want an indication of what your biological age is. Do you have a lot of wrinkles, or only a few wrinkles, compared to your age group? You can have a biological age of 44, even though it says you are 57 on your birth certificate. Here are a couple of life hacks from the scientist of ageing to those of you who would like to live a long, healthy life.<\/p>\n<h3>Consider fasting<\/h3>\n<p>Research indicates that fasting, that is, having a period of not eating, is a good thing for your body and for your future old age. During a fasting period, blood glucose levels fall. You give your pancreas, that produces insulin, a break, and some processes are activated that clean up the trash in your cells, so you optimize your cells a bit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/could-you-simply-not-eat-for-a-day\/\">Could you simply not eat for a day?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Morten Scheibye-Knudsen himself fasts from 20:00 in the evening to 12:00 noon the next day. But you can also fast for whole days or for several days in a row if you are more hard core.<\/p>\n<h3>Enjoy your coffee and chocolate<\/h3>\n<p>Scientist of ageing Morten Scheiby Knudsen loves his coffee and dark chocolate. Lucky for him, as both of these things are healthy. Coffee is one of the few healthy stimulants. No one knows why exactly, but in many plant-based foods there are chemicals which acts as a kind of defence mechanism for the plant. They can be slightly toxic for people like us, but they are positive for the ageing process. Dark chocolate contains a lot of antioxidants, which are probably healthy also.<\/p>\n<h3>Get your pulse racing<\/h3>\n<p>Here is a piece of advice that you know already: You should exercise. But maybe you don’t know how important it is. According to Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, it is, for example, much worse to be inactive than to be overweight. In fact, it’s three times as bad.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/scientists-10-second-sprints-are-most-effective\/\">Scientists: 10-20-30 series of intervals is the most effective training<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Quit the cigarettes<\/h3>\n<p>You most likely know it, but smoking really sucks for your health. As a smoker, you have a far greater risk of developing life-threatening illnesses earlier in life than non-smokers, so stay away from the smokes.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with our top stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":true,"references":[{"reference":{"ID":20082,"post_author":"9","post_date":"2011-08-03 09:36:10","post_date_gmt":"2011-08-03 07:36:10","post_content":"A workout programme of ultra-fast sprints, the so-called 10-20-30 system, appears to improve runners\u2019 times better than a programme with normal race-pace intervals.\r\n\r\nThis is according to Professor in Sports Science Jens Bangsbo of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues who have just released preliminary results of a study that goes against conventional training wisdom \u2014 and gives valuable hints to those that need to sharpen up before a big running event.\r\n<h3>Times improved by one minute on 5k<\/h3>\r\nA control group of eight runners that followed a conventional training programme, was bettered by a group of 10 runners that did high-intensity sprint workouts with fewer training hours a week. The group that did their high intensity \u201810-20-30\u2019 system of drills improved their five kilometre times by one minute on average.\r\n\r\nThe 10-20-30 system consists of a 30 second walk or jog, followed by a moderately paced 20 seconds run, and then a 10 second sprint. This is done five times. After a break, the process starts again for a total of two to five times for each training session. The workout is repeated two to three times a week.\r\n\r\n\u00bbWhat makes the training exceptional is the amount of training done at maximum speed,\u00ab explains Jens Bangsbo to the University Post. The key part of the workout is the 10 second sprint, where the running speed is much faster than the runners\u2019 competition pace.\r\n<h3>Activates muscle fibres<\/h3>\r\nThe success with the training system goes against conventional wisdom, which says that key workouts for, say, 5 km specialised runners should also be done at a 5 km race pace.\r\n\r\nThe scientists don\u2019t know for sure why the high intensity sprints are effective, but they have a few hypotheses:\r\n\r\n\u00bbOne of the theories is that the higher intensity workouts activate muscle fibres that would not be activated under slower workouts,\u00ab says Jens Bangsbo.\r\n<h3>Not higher injury risk<\/h3>\r\nThe research has shown that the workout is highly effective for beginners, but the system is also effective for trained runners, and could ultimately improve training regimens even for the elite.\r\n\r\n\u00bbWe can see in earlier tests that runners have improved from 37 to 36 minutes on a 10 kilometre race. These racers were not exactly elite, but they were well-trained to say the least,\u00ab says Jens Bangsbo.\r\n\r\nThe big question for runners is injury risk. Surely sprinting at maximal speed increases the risk of hurt? Not so, according to the scientists first results.\r\n\r\n\u00bbThere are no more injuries in the 10-20-30 group than in the control group,\u00ab says Jens Bangsbo.\r\n\r\nmiy@adm.ku.dk\r\n\r\n<em>Stay in the know about news and events happening in Copenhagen by <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/adm\/universitypost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">signing up for the University Post\u2019s weekly newsletter here<\/a>.<\/em>\n<!-- end of module 1 -->\n","post_title":"Scientists: 10-20-30 series of intervals is the most effective training","post_excerpt":"Sports science proves that super-fast running is best","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"scientists-10-second-sprints-are-most-effective","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-08-06 08:57:15","post_modified_gmt":"2021-08-06 06:57:15","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?p=20082\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"reference":{"ID":18069,"post_author":"12","post_date":"2015-04-11 05:17:04","post_date_gmt":"2015-04-11 03:17:04","post_content":"[This article was published in 2012, but has been revised and updated with new material in 2015]\r\n\r\nSee the orange athlete on the picture? That\u2019s Norwegian Marte Franck. She is a University Post reporter who challenged our photographer to keep up with her on a series of outdoor work-out sessions around town.\r\n\r\nWith Marte's help the University Post has gathered the best locations for outside activities in the different areas of Copenhagen.\r\n\r\nFor regular earthlings, Marte's numerous spots around the city will provide enough physical activities for the next couple of months, if not years. Whether it\u2019s climbing walls at N\u00f8rrebro or working calves by the lakes, the possibilities are countless and you\u2019re bound to end up sore.\r\n\r\nSeek out these spots, and in a year\u2019s time you might be fit enough to burn as many calories as Marte. If you want to skip down and see Marte doing the exercises, then scroll down to the bottom of this article, otherwise let us show you some great places to work out!\r\n<h2>10. Guldbergs Plads<\/h2>\r\nOn a small side street off N\u00f8rrebrogade, Guldberg Plads is a joint children playground and activity area. Its \u201cartsy\u201d pieces make the place more enjoyable, and enhance not only children\u2019s creativity, but also their health. In addition there is also a ball court open for everyone. This urban free space offers several possibilities for a complete workout in the center of N\u00f8rrebro. Our reporter used the yellow cubes to do some arm dips.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2248.6131605948494!2d12.553814!3d55.695713!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x465252537d2ebd9d%3A0xdd8fae5fc280524c!2sGuldbergs+Pl.%2C+2200+K%C3%B8benhavn+N!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428668937803\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>9. Fredensbro<\/h2>\r\nLocated beside S\u00f8erne, just off Fredensbro bridge, there is a small exercise pavilion, with different equipment for some serious muscle training. Its location makes it perfect to use in combination with some laps around the lakes. In our photo gallery below it is illustrated by Marte doing some core back training.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2248.7650184093563!2d12.568143999999995!3d55.69307300000001!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x46525301fa29c341%3A0xc238529ecf86f82e!2sFredens+Park!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428730801661\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>8. S\u00f8erne<\/h2>\r\nOne of the more obvious outside workout locations are the lakes situated in the middle of Copenhagen, S\u00f8erne, a very popular place to be once the sun shines. On the downside, there is a lot of traffic around along the road side of the lakes, and you can\u2019t expect to get this spot for yourself, it is often crowded.\r\n\r\nHere is as good a place to start as any!\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2248.605187927689!2d12.574190499999998!3d55.69585160000001!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x465252fc54d09bf5%3A0xece14d07f830c200!2sSortedam+Dossering+79%2C+2100+K%C3%B8benhavn+%C3%98!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428731139305\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>7. Frederikbergs Have<\/h2>\r\nThis spot located in the middle of Frederiksberg is an oasis. Stepping into Frederiksbergs Garden from the busy streets outside feels like entering a different world. It is perfect for runners, and possibly even more so for a peaceful enjoyable walk. When spring approaches you can see flowers and trees sprout everywhere, and watch the birds having an early swim in the ponds situated all over the park.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d1124.8960207676148!2d12.529090885916915!3d55.67521634870473!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x46525395f6d6e7a1%3A0xf82763a80fe1e2d9!2sFrederiksberg+Garden!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428731280608\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>6. Skate park in F\u00e6lledparken<\/h2>\r\nInside F\u00e6lledparken, a new and large skate park has recently been built. Unfortunately, neither the reporter nor the photographer for the University Post obtained great skating skills. So the demonstration of the park was left to someone else.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d17986.502459551968!2d12.569840000000012!3d55.70093430000002!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x46525255fc30b5e5%3A0x9a53e688f135f48f!2sSkatepark!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428731394216\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>5. Islands Brygge harbour<\/h2>\r\nThis beautiful harbor is mostly known for its chilled atmosphere throughout the summer. But it is also a great place for a good workout. Not only is here a beautiful running route along the channel, but there are also climbing possibilities here. In the summer months the harbor pool opens for activity, which makes this spot even more attractive.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2250.172754563271!2d12.577619000000006!3d55.66859599999999!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x46525364352d54f9%3A0x27d1e4abc212722f!2sIslands+Brygge+Havnebadet!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428731466234\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>4. S\u00f8ndermarken<\/h2>\r\nClose to Frederiksbergs Garden, you find S\u00f8ndermarken. This park has been developed to make your jogging more fun and effective. On a two and a half kilometer long track, a new lighting system has been installed. You can actually plot your data into the system, in order to regulate your running speed. Along the track there are different stops where you can strengthen your muscles. Our reporter did a little biceps work between laps.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d2250.14014955869!2d12.524910999999998!3d55.669163000000005!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x4652539158346829%3A0x2c7b097ce7e279a3!2sS%C3%B8ndermarken!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428731518031\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>3. Amager F\u00e6lled<\/h2>\r\nOn Amager F\u00e6lled, and the adjoining Kalvebod F\u00e6lled, we actually find slopes and small hills, which are rather rare in Copenhagen. The park, or common, is enormous and a good spot for running, either long distance or for doing intervals on the slopes.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d2251.2263468511637!2d12.577878!3d55.650271999999994!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x46525360f0921735%3A0xdee206383201bac6!2sAmagerf%C3%A6lled!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428731568118\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>2. Valby parken<\/h2>\r\nA place of scenic beauty. Entering the park, there is an alleyway with straight rows of trees leading down to the ocean. Going further into the park, and the forest within, there is a terrain trail consisting of different, natural and fun obstacles. This provides the perfect opportunity to combine fitness and muscle training \u2013 definitely a must.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d4503.013680995104!2d12.52079!3d55.645393!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x4652547033dc8a5d%3A0x54575beebcee9200!2sValby+Park!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428731621487\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<h2>1. BaNanna Park<\/h2>\r\nNumber one on our list is the BaNanna Park in northern N\u00f8rrebro. The only reason why this spot raced all the way to the top is a great climbing wall which actually functions as a gateway into the rest of the park. The wall offers challenges both for beginners and advanced climbers, and it is one of a kind in the Copenhagen area.\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2248.389391706481!2d12.549261!3d55.699603!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x46525252405061ef%3A0x2ee4248e213b5264!2sNannasgade+5%2C+2200+K%C3%B8benhavn+N!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sdk!4v1428670765082\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\nSo this is it! Now to the exercises. Check out our <a href=\"Node\/14012\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gallery: Marte\u00b4s Workout<\/a> and in a year\u2019s time you might be fit enough to burn as many calories as Marte. All without using any cash!\r\n\r\nuniversitypost@adm.ku.dk\r\n\r\n<em>Stay in the know about news and events happening in Copenhagen by <a href=\"http:\/\/universitypost.dk\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">signing up for the University Post\u2019s weekly newsletter here<\/a>.<\/em>\n<!-- end of module 1 -->\n","post_title":"Best outdoor workout spots in Copenhagen","post_excerpt":"Marte is a Norwegian who knows how to do a solid workout. Check out her Top 10 Free Workout spots and tips in Copenhagen and get ready to look your very best","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"best-outdoor-workout-spots-in-copenhagen","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-08-06 10:47:10","post_modified_gmt":"2021-08-06 08:47:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?p=18069\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"reference":{"ID":12237,"post_author":"12","post_date":"2013-06-10 06:52:38","post_date_gmt":"2013-06-10 04:52:38","post_content":"Who doesn\u2019t want to live forever? Who doesn\u2019t want to have eternal time to enjoy life? For thousands of years, humans have been searching for the magic ingredient that will restore youth. Legendary tales of the existence of fountains with rejuvenating powers have been told for centuries.\r\n<div class=\"factbox\">\r\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Lab and Library<\/p>\r\nIn our Lab and Library series, PhD students and Postdocs from the University of Copenhagen write in to share their stories about science and research.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/lab-and-library-features-by-scientists-2013-2016\/\"><strong>BROWSE THROUGH the Lab and Library series here.<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIt all began in Ethiopia where it was speculated that people could prolong their lives by the use of magical waters. These stories became even more prominent during the 16th century when the famous explorer Juan Ponce de Leon began his search for the fountain that would help him regain his youth.\r\n\r\nAlthough these stories are nothing but tales, they served one purpose: They fed people\u2019s hope for finding ways to reverse ageing. Since then, science has developed tremendously, and it is now known that some organisms hold a powerful mechanism to regenerate themselves. Interestingly, organisms such as planaria can fully grow their head back if it is cut; a salamander can re-grow their limbs. Even in humans, organs with heavy work load such as intestine, liver and skin continuously replenish their cells in order to maintain proper function. In addition to this, in case of an injury the body has the capacity to heal itself. But how is this happening? Is it possible to mimic the body and engineer ways to develop and replace damaged or aged organs in order to restore youth?\r\n<h2>Stem cells for tissue regeneration<\/h2>\r\nThe body seems to hold a powerful reservoir of cells that can form specialized cell types whenever there is a need. These cell types are called Stem Cells and, to a large extent, are responsible for our body's regeneration ability. Unfortunately, as we age so do our stem cells and their function declines. In addition the reservoir is gradually getting exhausted and stem cells become less and less frequent. Whether loss of stem cells is the result or the cause of aging still remains an open question.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/lab-and-library-features-by-scientists-2013-2016\/\"><strong>BROWSE THROUGH the Lab and Library series here.<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\r\nStem cells can be divided into two broad categories depending on their origins: embryonic or adult. Embryonic stem cells can be isolated from the early stages of the embryonic development and can give rise to all the cell types of the body and eventually all organs. In addition, embryonic stem cells can grow indefinitely, and they do not age. These properties make them ideal cell source for tissue regeneration.\r\n\r\nHowever, since they can only be isolated during embryonic development, they cannot be found in adults who mostly need stem cells. In addition to unsolved ethical concerns, if they are isolated from other embryos and implanted back into adults they may cause an immune response and ultimately rejection. Last but not least, they are considered highly tumorigenic. Thus, the development of methods enabling culture of human embryonic stem cells generated a lot of hope that the current limitations prohibitting their clinical use could be overcome.\r\n<h2>Embryonic stem cell mimicry<\/h2>\r\nIn contrast, adult stem cells are more accessible since they can be isolated directly from the patient (in what is commonly known as <em>patient specific therapy<\/em>) thus avoiding a possible immune reaction. They are not tumorigenic and have been successfully used clinically.\r\n\r\nHowever, adult stem cells have restricted differentiation capacity. In other words they can specialize only in certain cell types. For example, Mesenchymal Stem Cells that are located in adult bone marrow can only give rise to cells that can form fat, bone, cartilage and muscle. Furthermore, they have limited growth capacity and aging has a profound effect on their function.\r\n\r\nDue to the limitations of adult stem cells, an alternative approach was recently proposed. Scientists hypothesized that adult cells or stem cells can be modified in a way that mimics embryonic stem cells. If this were true, then a patient could use his own cells to transform them into embryonic stem cells which have the capacity to form all types of organs and they never age.\r\n<h2>Smooth muscles<\/h2>\r\nIndeed, this was achieved by Yamanaka and co-workers and because of this work he was awarded with the 2012 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine. These stem cells are called Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, and resemble embryonic stem cells to a large extent. Up until this study, scientists believed that cells (regardless of whether they are specialised cells or stem cells) have certain functions that cannot be changed.\r\n\r\nNow it is known, that with the right twist all the cells can become different cell types. For example, in the near future it might be possible to take blood cells and transform them into heart cells or neurons. However, induced pluripotent stem cells cannot be used clinically just yet, as there is a possibility of tumor formation similar to embryonic stem cells. What is more, the method of generating them requires genetic modification using viruses which further increase the tumorigenic potential of the resulting cells.\r\n\r\nHere at the Andreadis\u2019 lab at the Chemical & Biological Engineering department of University at Buffalo we study the effect of aging on adult stem cells. We focus our attention on the role of aging on a specific adult stem cell type that is called Mesenchymal Stem Cells that can specialize into smooth muscle cells.\r\n<h2>Nanog: the land of the young<\/h2>\r\nSmooth muscle cells are the building block for several organs such as arteries and bladders and their ultimate role is to generate force; in other words the can constrict or dilate. In this direction, by using Mesenchymal Stem Cell derived smooth muscle cells we aim in developing an artificial artery that can be used for patients that have damaged arteries.\r\n\r\nAs you can imagine, the majority of the patients who suffer from cardiovascular diseases are elderly. However we have shown that as the people age the capacity of Mesenscymal Stem Cells to form smooth muscle cells declines. We also demonstrated that aged cells lose the ability to generate force. In addition, the engineered arteries are much weaker and this is a huge drawback since the arteries should be able to sustain the high-pressure environment of the bloodstream. Thus, there was a need to make the aged Mesenchymal Stem Cells young again.\r\n\r\nInspired by the Yamanaka study, we tried to twist Mesenchymal Stem Cells so that they can regain their ability to make muscle. To achieve this we carefully followed the studies on embryonic stem cells in order to identify what makes them immortal and unaffected by aging. The gene named Nanog (which literally means the land of young) was a key player in this process. Interestingly, by introducing Nanog into aged Mesenchymal Stem Cells we showed that the smooth muscle forming capacity was regained to the same extent as young Mesenchymal Stem Cells.\r\n<h2>Steps in the right direction<\/h2>\r\nThe cells also recovered the ability to generate force and could grow for longer periods of time, another strong indication that the aging effects have been reversed. Currently we try to understand how Nanog reverses the aging effects on Mesenchymal Stem Cells. This will give a boost to pharmaceutical companies to design novel therapeutics that target aging.\r\n\r\nCollectively, using this method we have managed to eliminate to a large extent the effects of aging on Mesenchymal Stem Cells. This process does not require transforming them into embryonic stem cells and in that way this approach is more clinically relevant.\r\n\r\nHave we discovered the fountain of youth yet? Perhaps not, but we are now starting to understand how the stem cell ages and how can we reverse this process. Can we translate these findings into more complicated systems such as tissues or organs or even whole organisms? We are on our way to doing that, starting from building blood vessels that nourish the whole body. We are definitely on the right track.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/lab-and-library-features-by-scientists-2013-2016\/\"><strong>BROWSE THROUGH the Lab and Library series here.<\/strong><\/a>\n<!-- end of module 1 -->\n","post_title":"Diving into the fountain of youth","post_excerpt":"A health scientist explains why ageing may no longer be Nature's law","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"diving-into-the-fountain-of-youth","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-01-25 12:41:20","post_modified_gmt":"2021-01-25 11:41:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?p=12237\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"reference":{"ID":12615,"post_author":"12","post_date":"2013-05-13 04:22:30","post_date_gmt":"2013-05-13 02:22:30","post_content":"It started one Sunday afternoon where I\u2019d skipped breakfast on account of a hefty Indian buffet the night before, and still wasn\u2019t particularly hungry come lunchtime. Via my own thesis work on the cellular biology of aging I had become acquainted with intermittent fasting, a dietary regime under which animals seem to live longer and healthier lives by only being fed on alternate days. If it was possible to eat like that, the deal sounded pretty sweet, so why not give it a try? As it turned out I could simply not eat that day, nor on every other day since then.\r\n<div class=\"factbox\">\r\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Lab and Library<\/p>\r\nIn our Lab and Library series, PhD students and Postdocs from the University of Copenhagen write in to share their stories about science and research.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/lab-and-library-features-by-scientists-2013-2016\/\"><strong>BROWSE THROUGH the Lab and Library series here.<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIntermittent fasting is related to a more established observation that healthy lifespan extension can result from a constant reduction of caloric intake, provided that malnutrition does not occur. Under such \u201ccaloric restriction\u201d, a wide range of animal models live longer (both on average and compared to their normal maximal lifespan) and are less likely to develop a variety of age-related diseases (such as cancer, heart problems, diabetes and memory loss). Surprisingly these animals do not become sluggish, but are in fact more active than their regularly fed peers. There are some tradeoffs, however: calorically restricted lab animals produce a lower number of offspring, while humans attempting the regimen report feeling cold and, importantly but not surprisingly, constant hunger.\r\n<h2>Constant food deprivation<\/h2>\r\nBoth the benefits of and biological mechanisms behind intermittent fasting resemble those of caloric restriction, but there are also important differences. Both regimes are quite obviously connected to eating, or more accurately to sensing of nutrients. The primary biological pathway in both cases appears to be insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling, which as the name suggests detects the fed state of an organism via insulin levels in the blood and regulates a variety of physiological functions.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/lab-and-library-features-by-scientists-2013-2016\/\"><strong>BROWSE THROUGH the Lab and Library series here.<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\r\nWhen food is plentiful the body prioritizes growth and reproduction, but when conditions are scarce these activities are put on hold in favor of increasing the efficiency of its metabolism and other processes, as well as stimulating the organism to be awake and alert. Because of its more efficient metabolism and other protective measures, a body subject to these conditions ends up accumulating a lot less cellular damage than otherwise, which is probably the source of improved health.\r\n\r\nMost of these effects are identical for caloric restriction and intermittent fasting, but the way they are brought about differs significantly. As mentioned, caloric restriction involves constant food deprivation, and it is therefore easy to imagine how it could effect permanent changes to our physiology. Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, most often involves a drastic or complete reduction of calories on one day but with a compensatory increase in food intake the next, such that average consumption is not necessarily decreased.\r\n<h2>Be fruitful and multiply?<\/h2>\r\nSo how does it end up bringing about persistent physiological changes? Quite frankly, we don\u2019t quite know yet. A possible explanation is that a strong hunger-induced signal on those days when food is absent engenders various physiological changes analogous to those observed for chronic-but-partial reduction of calories. On eating days this signaling is not activated, but if the regulatory changes are not specifically counteracted the physiological effects might persist (albeit reduced) into the next fasting day. Continuing in this manner for an extended period could therefore produce an equilibrium where protective mechanisms are always partially activated.\r\n\r\nTaking this line of questioning further, one might ask why these responses occur at all? How did evolution produce a mechanism that improves health in adverse situations, and why isn\u2019t it just permanently active? Again we don\u2019t know for sure, but the explanation that I personally favor goes as follows: the primary objective of any living organism is to produce as many (surviving) offspring as possible. This axiom in biology underlies several theories of aging, with the argument that optimising the organism for rapid reproduction is more important than keeping it alive indefinitely.\r\n\r\nThus, when food is available priority number one becomes reproduction. But throughout evolution, food would not always be available, and it is easy to imagine an evolutionary advantage to putting off reproduction if it would simply result in both mother and child starving to death. In this case it becomes more important to keep the mother alive and to somehow acquire food, hence the increased focus on maintenance and alertness.\r\n<h2>Liberation from food<\/h2>\r\nSo how does intermittent fasting work in practice? My simple scheme simply means no calories of any kind from I wake up one day until the next morning, and then I eat whatever I want until I go to bed that day. Hunger is not really a big challenge, as after a week or two your body seems to learn that being hungry doesn\u2019t mean that it\u2019s starving to death. Thus hunger becomes a state that you can be conscious of and choose to act on or not, as opposed to an irrefutable imperative to halt all activity and seek out food. On the other hand it\u2019s wonderful not having to worry much about how much you eat (when you do), and food tastes a whole lot better when you\u2019re really hungry for it.\r\n\r\nA more significant challenge is being social on fasting days, which I manage through a combination of skipping unimportant, customary eating, and moving around fasting days so as not to coincide with social events where eating is important. On the other hand it\u2019s liberating not to have to shop, cook or even think up meals on fasting days, which along with avoiding post-food sluggishness makes fasting days highly productive.\r\n\r\nDo I feel healthier than I did three and a half years ago? Not really, but then I didn\u2019t feel unhealthy before. My blood pressure is a bit lower though, and I\u2019ve seen lowered cholesterol and reduced arthritic pain in others. Even so, my sticking to intermittent fasting is an educated guess in the hope of improved health, but as long as the day-to-day of it is enjoyable I\u2019m not about to change things.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/lab-and-library-features-by-scientists-2013-2016\/\"><strong>BROWSE THROUGH the Lab and Library series here.<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\n<!-- end of module 1 -->\n","post_title":"Could you simply not eat for a day?","post_excerpt":"In this first installment of our new science & research feature, Martin Borch Jensen writes in to tell us about how eating every second day could extend his life","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"could-you-simply-not-eat-for-a-day","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-01-25 12:43:33","post_modified_gmt":"2021-01-25 11:43:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?p=12615\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}}],"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":46,"name":"Science","slug":"science","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":46,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":831,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":4961,"name":"cancer","slug":"cancer-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4961,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":5573,"name":"Healthy ageing","slug":"healthy-ageing","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5573,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":5569,"name":"Morten Scheibye-Knudsen","slug":"morten-scheibye-knudsen-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5569,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"}],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":796,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/laegefeatured-1280x793.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135851"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135909,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135851\/revisions\/135909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}