Exercise can protect heart tissues: Study

During a heart attack, the cardiac cells commit suicide8217; at a rapid rate resulting in irreparable loss of vital tissues. HSP72 might check this process and save the cells from obeying a mysterious suicide command8217; triggered by a genetic factor.

A recent study by University of Florida researchers reveal that less than a week8217;s worth of walking, jogging or cycling can help the heart produce enough HSP72 to protect it against the damage done during a heart attack. 8220;We8217;ve done studies that indicate that as little as three days of exercise can provide protection,8221; said ScottPowers, a professor in UF8217;s department of exercise and sport sciences, in a paper published on the Internet today. Rats tested at UF showed that as few as five days of exercise produced almost the maximum amount of HSP72 that cells can hold.

8220;It raises the possibility that this could be true of humans, too, and we think that this is very exciting,8221; Powers said.

HSP72 is in a family of proteins that form in the cells and protect organs in the body, such as the heart, against the type of extreme stress that a heart attack can cause. During stress, scientists believe, HSP72 can stabilize and refold damaged proteins, which is vital to preserving the heart if blood circulation is cut off.

8220;This heart shock protein prevents the cell from dying from stress that would kill cells that didn8217;t have the same level of stress protein,8221; Powers said.