September 23, 2003 – Exercise is said to benefit not only your heart, but also your brain.
Indeed, a recent study found a direct link between good physical condition and reduced loss of brain tissue that inevitably accompanies aging. Researchers have observed that the healthier a subject is, the more protected their brain appears to be.
During this study1, published in February 2003, the researchers examined brain snapshots of 55 elderly participants. They discovered, as expected, that the brain “shrinks” markedly with age. However, this shrinkage is much less pronounced in physically fit subjects than in others.
This study only looked at the benefits of aerobic exercise, but other studies had previously linked strength training to similar benefits. To this end, researchers believe that an imbalance in the level of sugar in the body causes atrophy of the hippocampus, the memory site in the brain. However, more muscle mass would help the body to control sugar levels, thereby protecting the hippocampus from this damage.
However, the protective effect of exercise for the brain remains to be conclusively demonstrated. In 1989, the study2 of 85 elderly people found no difference, in memory tests, between active participants and sedentary participants.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to Prevention; October 2003.
1. Colcombe SJ, Erickson KI, Raz N, Webb AG, Cohen NJ, McAuley E, Kramer AF. Aerobic fitness reduces brain tissue loss in aging humans. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2003 Feb; 58 (2): 176-80.
2. Madden DJ, Blumenthal JA, Allen PA, Emery CF. Improving aerobic capacity in healthy older adults does not necessarily lead to improved cognitive performance. Psychol Aging 1989 Sep; 4 (3): 307-20.
