Can HIIT exercise improve memory and prevent Parkinson’s disease?

BDNF promotes neuroplasticity (the formation of new connections and pathways in the brain) and neuronal survival. They are necessary for memory formation and storage, as well as for overall cognitive performance.

Animal research — etc. 2016 research In mice — we show that increasing BDNF levels in the brain can reduce or slow some of the damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Similar studies in humans have not yet been done. however, Phase 1 clinical trial Researchers at the University of California, San Diego use gene therapy to increase BDNF levels in the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.

In a new study, Gibbons and his colleagues investigated whether exercise or fasting could boost BDNF levels without the need for gene therapy.

Animal studies have shown that fasting has a similar effect to exercise on BDNF levels.

Researchers recruited 12 physically active and healthy participants (6 men and 6 women) to two exercise sessions on a stationary bike.

Exercise sessions included both 90 minutes of light cycling and 6 minutes of high-intensity cycling intervals.

The researchers found that the greatest increase in blood levels of BDNF occurred after high-intensity cycling intervals.

BDNF also increased after 90 minutes of light cycling, but 20 hours of fasting had no effect on BDNF levels.

in the mouse 9 hour fast enough to raise BDNF levels.

Other studies have also found exercise to be included. rowing — can increase blood levels of BDNF in humans.

Chan LongA PhD professor of neurology and internal medicine at UT Southwestern in Dallas said the new study was interesting, but noted that it focused on the short-term effects of two exercise sessions. bottom.

He says there are many steps to be taken before the study can show that exercise not only consistently boosts BDNF levels in the brain, but can also prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. I said there is.

Studies have examined whether exercise prevents or slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, or whether it enhances memory in people with cognitive impairment.

“This is a very challenging question,” Zhang said, in part because of the limitations of clinical studies, such as small numbers of participants and short study duration.

Additionally, researchers need to look at many aspects of exercise, he said.

For example, does exercise benefit people who already have Alzheimer’s disease, or do we have to start exercising at a young age?

And who benefits most from exercise and what type of exercise gives the best results?

These questions still need answers, but “accumulating evidence clearly suggests that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” Zhang said.

You may also have risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise. Affects Brain HealthHe said.

Some studies have already shown that exercise has a positive effect on the brain.

“The most compelling evidence, at least in my mind, is that exercise can improve vascular health,” Zhang said. “This could have implications for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.”

A study published in 2020 found that Alzheimer’s JournalZhang and his colleagues found that 12 months of aerobic exercise increased blood flow in the brain (brain) in people with mild cognitive impairment.

another study People with mild cognitive impairment who participated in a 12-week walking program showed increased connections between neurons in parts of the brain involved in memory.

however, study An 18-month exercise program published last year did not improve episodic memory or executive function in people with undiagnosed dementia.

so Press releasethe researchers in the study said, this does not mean that exercise does not improve cognitive performance in older people, it does not appear to improve mental performance in healthy people.

Furthermore, they noted that the participants’ cognitive abilities did not improve over the course of the study, but neither did they decline.

Zhang pointed out that another challenge in studying the effects of exercise on the brain is that these effects take a long time to accumulate.

Some clinical trials may not be long enough to capture these cumulative changes.

This also suggests that if you want to improve your mental health, you should start exercising early in life and do it regularly.

“Exercise should be a habit,” Zhang said. “You should develop the habit early, starting in childhood. [on brain health.]”

But that doesn’t mean you can’t start exercising later in life.

“There are clinical studies that suggest that older people who start exercising have clear cardiovascular health benefits,” Zhang said.

“The impact of these benefits on brain health may take time,” he added. ”