How can we adapt to stress without aging our complete, perfect, and pre-established blueprint? How can we best address the lifestyle cause of oxidative stress to allow our cells to renew themselves? How can we achieve anabolic rejuvenation, fast, on a daily basis before catabolic wear and tear stress leaves us vulnerable to degenerative disease, cancer, and heart attack? Finding the anabolic/ catabolic balance that restores cellular chemical balance in minutes immediately before and after acidic workouts, and whenever stress disrupts metabolic pH, may be the answer.

As a sole means of physical conditioning, SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands), while it helps control weight gain before it becomes a disease like Obesity, does not necessarily equal anti aging. Take for example endurance training  which depends largely on anaerobic metabolism - just like resistance training, it generally doesn't resolve dis-proportionate adrenaline and lactic acid build up resulting in neural, circulatory, and hormone imbalances. Even with interval training proven to adapt muscle cell mitochondria to use up a greater percentage of lactic acid as fuel, body pH acidity limits the full anti-aging potential of exercise. Furthermore oxidative stress which affects neural signals, gene expression, and an inflammatory reaction produce C-reactive protein  (also referred to as protein free radicals or oxides) leading to among other things plaque build up in blood vessels.

Clearly body pH acidity is at least in part implicated in free radical damage, and therefore must be addressed when developing any program of exercise and nutrition. The proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane is maintained by the action of the electron transport chain
. The electron transport chain consists of 6 proteins associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane. The metabolic pH acidity from excess hydrogen (H+) that results with lactic acid build-up changes the shape and function of protein cells, as well as the distribution of electrolytes in the action potential of cellular metabolism. Conceivably, an acidic cellular environment (indicated as soon as breathing gets heavier during exercise), increases the probability of oxygen becoming a highly reactive and damaging free radical species, -OH, is much higher.

Among the numerous theories that explain the process of aging, the mitochondrial theory of aging has received the most attention. This theory states that electrons leaking from the ETC (electron transfer chain) reduce molecular oxygen to form superoxide anion radicals. Superoxide, through both enzymic and non-enzymic reactions, can cause the generation of other ROS (reactive oxygen species). The ensuing state of oxidative stress results in damage to ETC components and mtDNAc (mitochondrial DNA), thus increasing further the production of ROS. Ultimately, this ‘vicious cycle’ leads to a physiological decline in function, or pre-mature aging. It's been estimated that up to 2% of the oxygen used in mitochondrial respiration could end up as superoxide in unhealthy tissue.

On what other basis than the possibility of oxygen becoming a free radical, would www.physorg.com say... "even the simple act of breathing constantly inflicts damage upon our genes."? The acidity indicated by hyperventilation predisposes to free radical production, cellular damage, and inflammation, no doubt. Such a viewpoint comes from the premise that our default response to physical, emotion, or mental stress ie. hyperventilation, is the sole paradigm for breathing during physical exertion. And must necessarily derive it's logic from the assumption that the pre-established blueprint is not complete and perfect within the context of our natural environment. It's true, without deliberate respiratory engineering that renders both hypo or hyperventilation unnecessary regardless of speed or intensity of exercise performance, we cannot restore body pH to normal fast (in minutes instead of hours or days) before and after physical training, giving us no control over a dismal aging prognosis. From the food we eat and the skin products we use, to the type of exercise we do and the chronic stress of working before our kinesthetic and neural systems are fully integrated... body pH acidity is pretty much a way of life in our fast paced technological world..

A recent article in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine reports the finding of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley that supplementing with vitamin C reduces C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Black tea, Indian gooseberry, Curcumin, and Omega-3 fatty acids also have anti-inflammatory properties*. And with the emergence of the revolutionary Body'Fit pH Fitness™ exercise warm-up (short form... pHx™), it's now possible to recharge cells and restore total body pH balance and oxygen reserves in as little as 5 minutes for More Out of Exercise™ without immune stress. Even walking or yoga, by itself doesn't have this same advantage. Very good information is now available (just google pH fitness), and is an option that can be easily implemented. The trade off for exercise conditioning without pH fitness, is accelerated DNA aging.  And an alkalizing diet will help balance body pH, but not during an acidic workout, or when we're under stress of any kind. Incidentally Body'Fit pHx resolves the circulatory imbalance inherent in both endurance and resistance training by triggering hormones in the precise sequence that converts the constrictive action of adrenaline on arteries, to dilation, promoting vascular health.

Sadly, cancer researchers (self-admittedly) exploit cellular chemistry on the premise that the most effective cancer 'cure' is with free radicals, including superoxide anion radicals. (I suppose it would be, if our only option was to 'fight' disease by killing cells as opposed to restoring our natural regenerative capacity). Gray Cancer Research has even cautioned against eating too much 'natural food' because it doesn't produce enough cell-damaging free radicals. Certainly is a different way of thinking, isn't it?

It's always better to be safe than sorry. Given what it needs, a living organism is quite capable of regenerating itself continuously... view the Dr. Paul Clayton^ video for details. DNA-altering protocols are not a natural solution. Either are statin drugs used to control the inflammatory reaction typical of overactivity in the sympathetic nervous system. Adverse side-effects add to modern stress that goes far beyond simple physical exertion... from exposure to high-use commercial microwave oven and man-made EMF radiation to ingestion of chemical pollutants and genetically altered food (not to mention unknown effects like nano particles on DNA). A comprehensive pH fitness such as Body'Fit pHx™ that can restore H+ levels to normal this fast is indispensable DNA protection and cancer/ degenerative disease prevention. It's always better to be safe than sorry, isn't it? We seem to sometimes forget that, given what it needs, a living organism is quite capable of regenerating itself continuously... view video below for details.

*A nutrigenomics molecule which may produce similar benefits without concern for statin side effects is found in black tea. To reduce destructive inflammatory reactions which are at the root of aging and degeneration, the extract of the molecule called theoflavins has demonstrated powerful antioxidant effects and a remarkable ability to control inflammation at the genetic level. To regulate blood lipid levels Indian gooseberry or amla has produced exciting results in human clinical trials with the added benefit of reducing oxidative damage to fats that can lead to early atherosclerotic changes.

^Dr Paul Clayton is immediate past Chair of the Forum on Food and Health at the Royal Society of Medicine, and Scientific Advisor to the Nutritional Therapy Council. He is a former Senior Scientific Advisor to the UK government's Committee on the Safety of Medicines, and a visiting fellow at Oxford Brookes University. Dr Paul Clayton graduated summa cum laude in Medical Pharmacology from Edinburgh University, prior to obtaining his PhD. He lectures at the Royal College of General Practitioners and his books include Health Defence and After Atkins. He recently was invited to present his proposals on national health policy to a Government Select Committee.