A team of researchers from a major university has shown that regular physical activity can influence how genes are expressed in identical twins. The discovery sits at the crossroads of biology and health science, offering tangible evidence that daily movement can ripple through our biology.
In a long term study, scientists collected DNA samples from seventy twin pairs at several points between 2012 and 2019. The participants wore fitness trackers to capture objective data on activity, completed lifestyle questionnaires, and provided measurements for waist circumference and body mass index. This blend of precise measurements and self-reported information allowed researchers to examine how changes in movement relate to gene activity over time with a high degree of confidence.
Among the twin pairs, the sibling who logged higher weekly activity levels, roughly 150 minutes or more, tended to have a smaller waistline and a lower BMI compared with the less active twin. Beyond these physical outcomes, researchers noted shifts in the activity of more than fifty genes associated with reduced risk for metabolic diseases, including stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. The observed gene activity changes point to a possible mechanism by which lifestyle choices could influence disease risk at a molecular level.
Past studies on identical twins have shown that many health differences emerge with age, and many of these differences reflect epigenetic modifications — shifts in gene expression driven by lifestyle and environment rather than alterations to the DNA sequence itself. Because identical twins begin with the same genetic blueprint, they provide a natural framework for examining how behavior and surroundings steer biological outcomes. This investigation adds to growing evidence that routine activity can leave lasting epigenetic marks, tying everyday habits to long term health trajectories in a clear and meaningful way.