Yep, Exercise Can Increase Brain Function—and May Help Reduce a Marker of Alzheimer’s
Recent research published in Brain Plasticity found that aerobic exercise may help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
After going through 26 weeks of training, people who improved their aerobic fitness most also improved executive function and brain glucose metabolism.
People saw increased brain glucose metabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain impacted early in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
While there is no current cure for Alzheimer’s disease, more and more research points to exercising as one potential way to slow the onset.
A recent study published in Brain Plasticity found that aerobic exercise may help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially in at-risk populations, by improving brain glucose metabolism—a marker of risk for the disease.
The study investigated 23 people with an average age of 65, who were at a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease due to a family history of the disease. All patients previously had a sedentary lifestyle and had an average body mass index (BMI) that classified them as overweight. One half of the group followed a moderate-intensity treadmill training program with a personal trainer, three times per week for 26 weeks and the other half were given instruction about maintaining an active lifestyle, including getting 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week and limiting sedentary time, but were given no further instruction.
Before and after the completion of the study, participants were given VO2 max tests and underwent brain scans and cognitive function tests. Daily physical activity was also recorded and reported. Those who were working out with a trainer gradually increased their workout intensity, and by week seven were working out at 70 to 80 percent of heart rate reserve—considered vigorous exercise.
By the end of the study, those who were working out with the guidance of a personal trainer improved their aerobic fitness and reduced their overall sedentary time most, while those who were given instruction on an active lifestyle maintained or increased sedentary time and maintained or decreased activity.
Results showed that people who increased their aerobic fitness levels most improved both their executive function (ability for memory retention, attention, and planning), known to diminish in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and glucose metabolism (the way the brain utilizes fuel to power brain function).
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The increase in brain glucose metabolism following increased fitness levels occurred in the posterior cingulate cortex of the brain (PCC), which is a region of the brain involved in emotion and memory processing—and a region that changes early on in the progression of Alzheimer’s, lead study author Max Gaitán, M.Ed., Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health explained to Runner’s World.
It’s thought that exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which may improve the brain’s ability to use glucose, Gaitán said. And, previous research found that improving blood flow to the brain helps bring oxygen and nutrients to your brain that it needs to function, which, in turn, may reduce the risk of diseases like dementia.
While more research is needed, as the study showed it alleviated a marker of risk for Alzheimer’s disease, “these are novel findings showing that lifestyle behaviors can improve brain functioning and cognitive function, especially in those at-risk or higher risk for developing the disease,” Gaitán said. “Another really good finding was these people in exercise group improved executive functioning, brain glucose metabolism in the PCC.”
And many bodies of previous research, like this study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease have found that exercise can help improve brain function and slow the onset of the disease.
So, if you’re not currently active, aiming for 150 minutes of moderate exercise will benefit you, but check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine. As for how this applies to people who are currently active? Keep it up, says Gaitán. Continuing (or starting) an exercise regime can benefit your heart and your brain.
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