It has long been known that exercise is not only good for the body, but also for the brain. Numerous studies Regular exercise Protects and maintains brain function Throughout your life.
a Recent Research It turns out that certain types of training may be more effective than others when it comes to boosting brain health. Researchers found an association between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) training and improved memory and brain capacity in older adults. And these brain benefits persisted for up to five years after the study was completed.
Researchers studied 194 adults aged 65 to 85 who had no signs of cognitive decline. Participants were assigned to either a low-intensity, moderate-intensity, or HIIT training program, working out three times a week for six months.
Low-intensity training consisted of 30 minutes of stretching, balance, and relaxation exercises. Moderate-intensity training consisted of 30 minutes of brisk walking on a treadmill.
The HIIT sessions were also conducted on a treadmill, with participants doing four minutes of intense exercise (approximately 80-95% of their maximum heart rate) separated by three minutes of recovery, repeated four times.
After six months of exercising, the participants were given a task to test their memory. Participants in the HIIT group made fewer errors in the task compared to participants in the low- and moderate-intensity groups.
When participants were given the memory task again five years later, those in the HIIT group still outperformed the other groups. The scores of the low- and moderate-intensity groups remained the same and showed no improvement.
And that’s not all: The researchers also found that the HIIT training group experienced less age-related loss of brain volume. Brain MRI scans showed that the right hippocampus, an area associated with memory, was better preserved in the HIIT group than the other two groups. As with the memory improvements, these benefits persisted even five years after the study ended.
Although the study’s conclusions are strong, it only included people who had no signs of cognitive decline, so it’s unclear whether similar results would be seen in people with cognitive impairments.
Additionally, the HIIT sessions were conducted on a treadmill, so it’s unclear whether the same results would have been achieved if participants had performed other forms of exercise.
meanwhile Previous research While a link between HIIT training and long-term brain benefits has been shown in animals, this is one of the first studies to link the two in humans.
Brain benefits
There are three possible mechanisms that could explain why HIIT is so beneficial for brain health.
Firstly, HIIT improves cardiovascular fitness, which also benefits brain function.
Regular HIIT training Improves cardiovascular functionThis makes it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body, reducing pressure on the arteries and lowering blood pressure.
Maintaining healthy blood pressure is important for brain health, as high blood pressure has been associated with decreased brain function. Small blood vessels Changes in the brain are often Reduced brain volume This area is important in brain regions such as the hippocampus. First to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
The second reason HIIT may be beneficial for brain health is Inflammation levels.
Long-term, ongoing inflammation has many negative effects on the brain, including: Poor brain metabolism and Decreased brain tissue functionThese changes may lead to cognitive impairment and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease.
However, HIIT training Lower the level Production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a protein that contributes to chronic inflammation. TNF-α production is Initial reaction It is caused by an inflammatory process in the body. High levels of TNF-α Associated with chronic inflammation.
The third reason HIIT is so beneficial for brain health is because it positively impacts brain cells (neurons). Healthy neurons are the messengers of information in the brain. Memory and communication Between brain regions.
HIIT training is Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is secreted into the blood. Growth and Repair Of neurons.
BDNF levels Naturally decreases with ageHowever, HIIT training could be a simple way to boost BDNF levels in the body and improve brain health.
HIIT Training
It’s clear that HIIT is good for your brain health, but one thing researchers aren’t clear on is what the perfect HIIT training plan looks like. Researchers aren’t convinced Future studies will need to investigate whether the length of the HIIT intervals (30-second exercise vs. four-minute exercise) or the number of intervals performed in each session matters more when it comes to brain health benefits.
Still, it’s clear from this study and others that HIIT can be extremely beneficial. If you want to give HIIT a try, create a training plan that alternates short periods of intense exercise (close to maximum effort) with short recovery periods.
For example, a HIIT workout on a stationary bike might consist of a five-minute warm-up followed by ten 30-second sprints with three to four minutes of low-intensity effort in between.
Regardless of the workout structure, HIIT offers many benefits to both the brain and body.
This article is reprinted from conversation Published under a Creative Commons license. Original article.
