“Six months of high-intensity interval training is enough to flick the switch,” Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett said. “In earlier pre-clinical work, we discovered exercise can activate stem cells and increase the production of neurons in the hippocampus, improving cognition.”
The study
“In this study, a large cohort of healthy 65 — 85-year-old volunteers joined a six-month exercise program, did biomarker and cognition testing, and had high-resolution brain scans,” said Bartlett. “We followed up with them 5 years after the program and incredibly they still had improved cognition, even if they hadn’t kept up with the exercises.”
“If we can change the trajectory of ageing and keep people cognitively healthier for longer with a simple intervention like exercise, we can potentially save our community from the enormous personal, economic, and social costs associated with dementia,” explained Bartlett.
For this study, the impact of three exercise intensities was assessed:
- Low — predominantly motor function, balance, and stretching
- Medium — brisk walking on a treadmill
- High — four cycles running on a treadmill at near maximum exertion
The findings
“On high-resolution MRI scans of that group, we saw structural and connectivity changes in the hippocampus, the area responsible for learning and memory,” Dr. Daniel Blackmore said.”We also found blood biomarkers that changed in correlation to improvements in cognition. Biomarkers can be useful in predicting the effectiveness of the exercise a person is doing.”
According to the researchers, only high-intensity interval training led to cognitive improvements that were retained for up to 5 years. Aging is one of the biggest risk factors for dementia, with 1 in 3 people aged 85+ being likely to develop the disease, the impact of these findings is far-reaching.
Next steps
Blackmore adds that although the use of biomarkers as a diagnostic tool for exercise requires more research, “Our finding can inform exercise guidelines for older people and further research could assess different types of exercise that could be incorporated into aged care.”
“We are now looking at the genetic factors that may regulate a person’s response to exercise to see if we can establish who will and who will not respond to this intervention,” said Blackmore.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2024/07/uq-research-reveals-exercise-brain-boost-can-last-years
http://dx.doi.org/10.14336/AD.2024.0642
https://qbi.uq.edu.au/article/2021/12/running-down-exercise-sweet-spot-reverse-cognitive-decline
