Summary: Cardiorespiratory exercise—such as brisk walking, running, or cycling—appears to increase gray matter volume in brain regions linked to age-related cognitive decline. These findings support prior research that connects regular physical activity with neuroprotection and better brain health.
Source: Mayo Clinic
Can cardiorespiratory exercise that raises your heart rate also help protect your brain from age-related cognitive decline?
New research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases provides fresh evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with brain health. Specifically, the study reports positive relationships between measures of aerobic fitness and volumes of gray matter and total brain volume—areas of the brain closely tied to cognition and aging.
Brain tissue consists of gray matter (the cell bodies) and white matter (the long fibers that connect cells). Gray matter volume has been linked to a range of cognitive abilities, and the study found that higher peak oxygen uptake—a standard measure of aerobic fitness—was strongly associated with larger gray matter volume.
The analysis included 2,013 adults from two independent population cohorts in northeastern Germany, with examinations conducted across phases from 1997 through 2012. Researchers measured cardiorespiratory fitness using peak oxygen uptake and established exercise testing protocols while participants performed tests on an exercise bike. Brain volumes were assessed using MRI, allowing the investigators to evaluate structural differences tied to fitness.
The results indicate that better aerobic fitness may contribute to preserved brain structure and slow the loss of gray matter that often accompanies aging. An accompanying editorial by three Mayo Clinic experts describes the findings as “encouraging, intriguing and contributive to the growing literature linking exercise and brain health.”
Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and the editorial’s lead author, emphasizes that the study’s most notable finding is the effect of aerobic fitness on brain regions involved in cognition rather than only motor control. “This provides indirect evidence that aerobic exercise can positively influence cognitive function in addition to improving physical conditioning,” he says. He also points out that the results may extend to older adults: while the benefits of midlife activity are well documented, it is promising that exercise can still produce measurable brain effects later in life.
Dr. Petersen serves as the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research and is director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
The study observed increased gray matter volume in brain regions that are clinically relevant to cognitive changes with aging, and some of those regions overlap with areas implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The editorial authors find these associations noteworthy but caution that such correlations alone do not prove effects on Alzheimer’s disease development or progression.
Michael Joyner, M.D., an anesthesiologist and physiologist at Mayo Clinic and a co-author of the editorial, highlights the importance of the volumetric brain data. “This study adds another piece of evidence that physical activity and fitness are protective against age-related cognitive decline,” he says. “Epidemiological studies already point to this benefit, and emerging data link physical fitness with improved blood vessel function in the brain. The volumetric findings here show structural effects that are meaningful.”
Clifford Jack Jr., M.D., a neuroradiologist at Mayo Clinic and editorial co-author, notes that long-term, controlled studies would be valuable to further clarify how exercise affects brain aging, although such trials are costly and complex. “Nonetheless, these data are encouraging,” he says. “The relationships identified between cardiorespiratory fitness and specific brain structures are distinct and worth further investigation.”
University Medicine Greifswald in Germany participated in the research, and Katharina Wittfeld, Ph.D., of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease is the study’s first author.
Experts at Mayo Clinic recommend regular moderate aerobic exercise—about 150 minutes per week—as part of a lifestyle that supports cardiorespiratory fitness and brain health. Other factors that contribute to good cardiovascular and brain health include:
- Avoiding tobacco use
- Adopting and maintaining healthy eating patterns
- Losing excess weight or maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing blood pressure to prevent hypertension
- Keeping cholesterol within healthy ranges
- Controlling blood sugar to reduce long-term vascular and organ damage
Source:
Mayo Clinic
Media Contacts:
Susan Barber Lindquist – Mayo Clinic
Image Source:
The image is in the public domain.
Original Research (open access):
Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Brain Volumes. Ronald C. Petersen, Michael J. Joyner, Clifford R. Jack Jr. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.11.011.
Abstract
The relationship between exercise and brain health has drawn increasing attention. Reviews and expert panels have concluded that aerobic exercise may help slow cognitive decline related to aging, and organizations such as the National Academies of Sciences and the World Health Organization recognize exercise as a beneficial intervention. Evidence-based reviews also suggest exercise could slow progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. Given the public health importance of these questions, studies examining aerobic fitness, brain volume, and cognitive outcomes remain a high priority for research.