Waseda University · Medicine
Professor Takuji Kawamura's research lab focuses on redox biology and aging, with a particular emphasis on the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying exercise-induced oxidative stress, the therapeutic potential of molecular hydrogen (H₂) in mitigating muscle damage and inflammation, and the role of lifestyle factors such as diet and cardiorespiratory fitness in biological aging. The lab investigates how molecular hydrogen modulates neutrophil dynamics, oxidative stress markers, and delayed-onset muscle soreness, while also exploring epigenetic aging clocks as biomarkers of biological age in relation to physical fitness and dietary patterns in older populations. Their work bridges exercise physiology, molecular medicine, and aging research to develop geroprotective strategies based on non-invasive interventions.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
It is well established that the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals production during exercise has both positive and negative physiological effects. Among them, the present review focuses on oxidative stress caused by acute exercise, mainly on evidence in healthy individuals. This review also summarizes findings on the determinants of exercise-induced oxidative stress and sources of free radical production. Moreover, we outline the effects of antioxidant supplementation o
Molecular hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) is a colorless, tasteless, odorless, and minimal molecule with high flammability. Although H<sub>2</sub> has been thought to be an inert gas in living bodies for many years, an animal study reported that inhalation of H<sub>2</sub> gas decreased oxidative stress and suppressed brain injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion injury due to its antioxidant action. Since then, the antioxidant action of H<sub>2</sub> has attracted considerable attention and many stu
The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of neutrophil dynamics and function in exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and the effect of molecular hydrogen (H₂) intake on these parameters. Nine healthy and active young men performed H₂ and placebo bath trial in a crossover design. They carried out downhill running (-8% slope) for 30 min at a speed corresponding to 75~85% of peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak). Subsequently, they repeated bath
DNA methylation-based age estimators (DNAm ageing clocks) are currently one of the most promising biomarkers for predicting biological age. However, the relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured directly by expiratory gas analysis, and DNAm ageing clocks are largely unknown. We investigated the relationships between CRF and the age-adjusted value from the residuals of the regression of DNAm ageing clock to chronological age (DNAmAgeAcceleration: DNAmAgeAccel) and attempted
Several studies have reported that molecular hydrogen (H2) acts as a therapeutic medical gas owing to scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, little is known about effects of H2 on exercise-induced oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of weekly hydrogen bathing on exercise-induced oxidative stress and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Nine healthy and active young men participated in this study, and each subject performed hydrogen bathing tria
Aging is the greatest risk factor for numerous diseases and mortality, and establishing geroprotective interventions targeting aging is required. Previous studies have suggested that healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, are associated with delayed biological aging; however, these associations depend on nationality and sex. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns identified through principal component analysis and biological aging
Previous studies have not investigated the determinants of resting oxidative stress, including physical fitness, as it relates to redox regulation. The present study therefore was aimed at identifying lifestyle and biological factors that determine resting oxidative stress, including objectively measured physical fitness. In 873 middle-aged and elderly men and women, age and anthropometric parameters, lifestyle-related parameters, medication and supplementation status, physical fitness, biochemi
BACKGROUND: Studies have revealed that molecular hydrogen (H2) exhibits therapeutic effects against various diseases through biological activities such as antioxidation. However, little is known about the effects of H2 on redox biomarkers and related indicators during exercise. Therefore, we examined whether 2 weeks of H2 water intake could affect the redox biomarkers, energy metabolism, and performance level of rats during endurance exercise.METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (N.=32) were random
Epigenetic drift, which is gradual age-related changes in DNA methylation patterns, plays a significant role in aging and age-related diseases. However, the relationship between exercise, epigenetics, and aging, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their interactions are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), epigenetic aging, and promoter methylation of individual genes across multiple organs in selectively bred low- and high-capaci
The inventory routing problem simultaneously considers both the inventory problem and the delivery problem; it determines the amount of delivery of inventory and the delivery route such that the total cost is minimized. In this study, we use stochastic programming to consider a multi-product inventory routing problem that considers the demand variation throughout multiple periods. Determining the delivery route for each period is difficult. Therefore, we propose a model that fixes the delivery r
• Nutrition modulates epigenetic aging through both global and gene-specific DNA methylation. • Dietary patterns such as Mediterranean and DASH diets are linked to slower epigenetic aging. • Specific nutrients (folate, vitamins B and D, polyphenols, α-ketoglutarate) regulate epigenetic clocks. • Promoter methylation serves as a key mechanism underlying diet-induced gene expression changes. • Integrating epigenetic clocks with promoter methylation enhances precision in nutritional aging research.
Emerging evidence suggests that physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness may delay or reverse epigenetic aging, with implications for the extension of healthspan. This Perspective review defines essential exercise-related terminology and synthesizes findings from both human and animal studies examining the relationships between these factors and DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks. While observational studies have demonstrated inverse relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness
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