The link between exercise and improved brain health is well established, but new research suggests that these benefits may persist long after some types of exercise, improving brain function in older adults for up to five years.
Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia wanted to find out more about whether living an active lifestyle can prevent dementia, and in particular how much exercise is needed to slow cognitive decline.
Their job is Previous research They show that exercise can stimulate stem cell growth and reverse cognitive decline in mice, increasing the production of new neurons in a part of the brain called the “neuron.” HippocampusIt is associated with learning and memory.
Here they High Intensity Interval Training Six months of consistent HIIT appears to help your brain reach a threshold of improvement that can maintain cognitive sharpness for years to come.
“Six months of high-intensity interval training is enough to flip the switch.” To tell Perry Bartlett, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland.
In the study, 151 participants aged 65 to 85 were divided into three exercise groups for six months: low-intensity training (such as stretching), moderate-intensity training (brisk walking on a treadmill), and high-intensity training (near-maximum effort on a stationary bike).
Combining brain scans and blood samples, the researchers were able to measure changes in the brain: Only the HIIT group showed signs of cognitive improvement immediately after the exercise program, and long after.
“We followed up with them five years after the program and, incredibly, their cognitive abilities were still improving, even though they weren’t continuing to exercise.” To tell Daniel Blackmore, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland.
There is still much to be done: although the combination of brain scans and biomarkers can provide a great deal of information about cognitive performance, more detailed analyses are needed to better understand how the brain is benefiting and what biological mechanisms are at work.
The team also wants to explore how genetic factors influence these associations in larger populations, as different people respond to exercise differently, which could mean that HIIT may not be as helpful in some cases.
But combined with previous research, it provides further evidence that exercise habits may help slow the rise in dementia rates among older people, and that this preventative effect may last longer than we thought.
“If simple interventions like exercise can change the trajectory of ageing and keep people cognitively healthy for longer, we have the potential to spare our communities the enormous personal, economic and societal costs associated with dementia.” To tell Bartlett.
This study Aging and Disease.
