All studies point out the benefits of sport for physical and mental health. Exercising would increase the gray matter of the brain, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. And physical activity should be used against cognitive decline and in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh (United States) analyzed the medical data of 876 individuals, aged 65 or over, participating in a multicenter study, the multicenter Cardiovascular Health Study. For 5 years, the volunteers took cognitive tests, and the scientists studied their brains by scanning them.
Sports activity stimulates the brain
The findings of the study showed that individuals who exercised the most had a greater volume of gray matter, the area of the brain linked to memory and cognitive abilities, on the scan. Scientists have also observed that physical activity also reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease at 5.
“As people age, they become more sedentary, which increases their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and/or other dementias. However, this practice of physical activity, which can include jogging, swimming, but also gardening or dancing, also benefits people already suffering from the disease or mild cognitive impairment by promoting a lesser reduction in the volume of matter. gray over time. Faced with this effectiveness of exercise, recalls the researcher, there is the ineffectiveness of current treatments”.
“Rather than waiting for memory loss, we might consider putting the patient on an exercise program and then imaging their brain as it changes,” concludes Dr. James T. Becker, professor of psychiatry. , at the Pitt School of Medicine.
Read also:
Sports activity is essential to improve concentration
Intense physical activity would reduce premature death
Heart failure: one hour of sport a day would protect the heart
