In this article we  are looking at how regular moderate to high intensity exercise can not only maintain good cognitive/brain function but may also help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Physical exercise has shown to be not only important for your body’s health- it also helps your brain stay sharp. Your brain is no different than rest of the muscles in your body–you either use it or you lose it.

The research…..

The benefits of physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, have positive effects on brain function on multiple fronts, ranging from the molecular to behavioural level. According to a study done by the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Georgia, even briefly exercising for 20 minutes facilitates information processing and memory functions.

Early studies into the effect of physical exercise on cognitive performance compared groups of people who exercised to groups of people who did not exercise much. Results showed that people who exercised usually had better performance in a range of cognitive tasks compared to non-exercisers.

However, the problem with some of the earlier studies is that they were epidemiological studies, that is they show a correlation but they cannot ascertain whether the exercise was the cause or just incidental. The advantage the exerciser group may show may not come from exercising but from other factors such as better brain health to start with, or the fact that the exerciser group is likely to have a better diet, etc.

However, In 2003, Colcombe and Kramer, analyzed the results of 18 scientific studies published between 2000 and 2001 that were conducted with both the exerciser group and the non-exerciser group having very similar profiles to begin with. The results of this meta-analysis clearly showed that fitness training increases cognitive performance in healthy adults between the ages of 55 and 80.

Another meta-analysis published in 2004 by Heyn and colleagues shows similar beneficial effects of fitness training on people over 65 years old who had cognitive impairment or dementia.

So what is the effect of fitness training on the brain itself?

As we mentioned before, exercise affects the brain at multiple levels. As exercise increases heart rate, more oxygen is pumped to the brain. It also increases the release of a range of hormones that help in providing a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells.

Recent research has also shown that exercise increases growth factors in the brain, also  stimulating growth of new connections between nerve cells therefore stimulating brain plasticity.

A study from Stockholm on running & brain health showed that the antidepressant effect of running was also associated with more cell growth in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

Only one study has used brain imaging to look at the effect of fitness on the human brain. In 2006, Colcombe and colleagues randomly assigned 59 older adults to either a cardiovascular aerobic exercise group, or to a non aerobic exercise control group (stretching and toning exercise). Participants exercised 3 hours per week for 6 months. Colcombe et al. scanned the participants’ brains before and after the training period.

After 6 months, the brain volume of the aerobic exercising group increased in several areas compared to the non-aerobic group. Volume increase occurred principally in frontal and temporal areas of the brain, that is those areas involved in executive control and memory processes. The authors do not know what underlying cellular changes might have caused these volume changes. However they suspect, based on animal research, that volume changes may be due to an increased number of blood vessels and an increased number of connections between neurons.

How does physical exercise compare to mental exercise?

The effects of mental exercise on performance seem to be very task specific, that is trained tasks benefit from mental training but the benefits do not transfer very well to tasks in which one was not trained.

The effects of physical exercise on performance seem broader but benefit mostly tasks that involve executive-control components (that is, tasks that require planning, working memory, multi tasking, resistance to distraction).

Tips for Choosing The Right Physical Exercise

• In general, anything that is good for your heart is great for your brain.
• Aerobic exercise is great for body and brain: not only does it improve brain function, but it also acts as a “first aid kit” on damaged brain cells.
• Exercising in the morning before going to work not only spikes brain activity and prepares you for mental stresses for the rest of the day, but also produces increases retention of new information, and better reaction to complex situations
• When looking to change up your work out, look for an activity that incorporates coordination (mental exercise component) along with cardiovascular exercise, such as a dance class.
• If you like crunching time at the gym alone, opt for circuit work outs, which both quickly spike your heart rate, but also constantly redirect your attention.
• Hitting a wall or mentally exhausted? Doing a few jumping jacks might reboot your brain.

References

Colcombe, S. & Kramer, A. F. (2003). Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: A meta-analytic study. Psychological Science, 14(2), 125–130.

Colcombe, S. J., Erickson, K. I., Scalf, P. E., Kim, J. S., Prakash, R., McAuley, E., Elavsky, S., Mar quez, D. X., Hu, L., & Kramer, A. F. (2006). Aerobic exercise training increases brain volume in aging humans. Journal of Gerontology, 61A(11), 1166–1170.

Heyn P.; Abreu B. C.; Ottenbacher K. J. (2004). The effects of exercise training on elderly persons with cognitive impairment and dementia: a meta-analysis. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 85(10), 1694–704.

Laurin, D., Verreault, R., Lind say, J., MacPher son, K., & Rock wood, K. (2001). Physical activ ity and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly persons. Archives of Neurology, 58(3), 498–504.