運動能力と長寿・生殖能力は両立可能と示したマウス研究(Athleticism Doesn’t Require Sacrificing Longevity or Fertility)

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2026-08-12 カリフォルニア大学リバーサイド校(UCR)

米カリフォルニア大学リバーサイド校(UCR)の研究チームは、人類の進化史において高い運動能力、長寿、繁殖能力の間に必ずしもトレードオフは存在しなかったことを示した。従来、生物学では限られたエネルギー資源を運動、生殖、身体維持の間で配分するため、高い身体能力は寿命や繁殖力の低下を伴うと考えられてきた。しかし研究では、人類やその近縁種の進化を比較分析した結果、運動能力の向上が長寿や繁殖成功と両立し得ることが示された。特に人類は持久力の高い身体活動能力を獲得すると同時に、長い寿命と比較的高い繁殖成功を実現しており、身体活動が健康維持や生存率向上を通じて進化的利益をもたらした可能性が示唆された。研究は、運動能力向上と健康寿命延伸が対立するものではなく、相互に補完し得ることを示すものであり、人類の進化や老化、生殖戦略の理解に新たな視点を提供している。

<関連情報>

マウスにおける自発的な車輪走行行動の選択的育種は、長期的なペア繁殖条件下における生涯繁殖成功率や寿命の低下とは関連しない Selective Breeding for Voluntary Wheel-Running Behavior in Mice is not Associated with Reduced Lifetime Reproductive Success or Lifespan Under Long-Term Paired Breeding Conditions

Natalie N. Whitehead,Nicole E. Schwartz,Chenkun Jiang,Haley M. Read,Natalie C. Holt & Theodore Garland Jr.
Behavior Genetics  Published:12 August 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-026-10277-x

Fig. 1

Abstract

We studied lifespan and lifetime reproductive success (LRS) in mice from a selection experiment that includes 4 replicate High Runner (HR) lines bred for voluntary wheel-running behavior and 4 non-selected Control (C) lines. HR mice typically run ~ threefold farther on a daily basis, leading to substantially increased energy expenditure and food consumption, and are also more active and eat more when housed without wheels. HR and C mice have been shown to differ for many other traits that could affect reproduction, including body mass and composition, aerobic capacity, hormonal profile (including corticosterone and leptin), and other behavioral traits (e.g., maternal care, thermoregulatory nesting, anxiety-like behavior in an elevated plus maze). At generation 97, male–female pairs were maintained until end of life in standard cages without wheels, with ad lib food and water. The number of pups weaned (LRS) ranged from 0–80, with a mean of 29.1 ± 8.1 (SE) for C lines and 25.8 ± 4.4 for HR (P = 0.73). Thus, artificial selection for high voluntary exercise did not significantly alter LRS. In addition, we found no statistical difference in average lifespan for dams or sires. However, replicate lines differed significantly for several traits, presumably due primarily to random genetic drift. At the level of individual variation, correlations among reproductive traits and lifespan provided little evidence for negative associations, and LRS was not negatively related to parental longevity. Overall, long-term selection on voluntary locomotor behavior did not produce detectable reductions in reproductive output or lifespan under standard laboratory conditions.

生物環境工学
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