Scientists reveal the two exact ages in your life when the ageing process dramatically spikes

As someone who is turning 30 next year, the quarter-life crisis has already begun.

More grey hairs and less motivation to work out are just a couple of symptoms that I'm noticing.

But it turns out that the ageing process isn't going to spike until I'm a lot older, which is good but equally scary to think about.

According to a new study published on Wednesday (14 August), it's all about 'understanding the molecular changes underlying ageing'.

You can't avoid it. (Getty Stock Images)

The authors of 'Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human ageing' used a sample size of 108 participants, aged between 25 and 75, to draw their conclusions.

Those participants lived in California, US, and were tracked from '1.7 years, with a maximum follow-up duration of 6.8 years'.

More specifically, the scientists went and took a look at the molecules in their blood, poo and skin via mouth and nose swabs.

Apologies if your Covid-related PTSD just kicked in.

Around 135,000 different molecules (like proteins) and microbes (like bacteria, viruses and fungi) were looked at, and the shock came when most of them didn’t shift in a gradual way, as expected.

The molecules and microbes shifted more during two age groups and it was determined that the ages of 44 and 60 are the most likely time periods where age-related changes start to take place.

The NHS advises 'older adults should do some type of physical activity every day'. (Getty Stock Images)

This includes the possible build up of health issues, such as cardiovascular disease or musculoskeletal problems.

“We’re not just changing gradually over time. There are some really dramatic changes,” Prof Michael Snyder, a geneticist and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University and senior author of the study, told the Guardian.

“It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s – and that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.

“I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy.”

The mid-40s revelation was not expected as it was initially thought that this was the result of perimenopausal changes in women.

But similar shifts in ageing were also noticed in men.

“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women,” added Dr Xiaotao Shen, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford medical school and first author of the study.

You can take a look at the full study in the journal Nature Aging.