Researchers from Canada have found that aerobic exercise can improve brain functions and reduce dementia in aging brains.
The study was published in the British Journals of Sports Medicine, according to The Atlantic.
The World Health Organization stated that over 35 million people around the world suffer from dementia. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a risk factor in dementia, and scientists believe it may be a stage where they can intervene before it further develops.
The study involved 86 women between the ages of 70 and 80 with probable MCI. Each woman was assigned one of three specific exercise programs, which were resistance (weight-lifting), aerobic training, and balance and tone training, The Information Daily reported.
Aerobic training (AT) involves exercising with low intensity, such as swimming, cycling and jogging.
The researchers observed the volume of the hippocampus in each participant. The hippocampus is an area in the brain that is connected to short and long-term memory and spatial navigation, The Information Daily reported.
The women performed their exercises twice per week. The researchers measured the volume of the participants' hippocampus, as well as how the participants did on a verbal learning test that asked them to recall words spoken aloud to them, before and after the 26 weeks of exercise, The Atlantic reported.
The results show that the group that did aerobic exercise had a greater increase in hippocampus volume at the end of the 26 weeks than the other groups. However, the researchers also found that the aerobic exercise group did not do as well on the verbal learning test, which they called an "unexpected" finding.
The researchers believe the increased hippocampus volume may have been caused by neurogenesis, the growth of neurons, which the researchers assume is stimulated by aerobic exercise. While the participants' performance on the verbal learning test was surprisingly low, the results suggest that larger brain volume does not necessarily lead to better cognitive performance, The Atlantic reported.
While more research is needed, the study reveals that exercise can effectively fight off lowered hippocampus volume, and can have a positive impact on muscles and brains.
