Regular physical activity appears to improve brain function and reduce the risk of dementia, even in individuals who are most genetically predisposed to it, two recent studies suggest.
Posted at 11:10 a.m.
Jean-Benoit Legault
The Canadian Press
Published by researchers from the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm in the British Journal of Sports Medicinethe first study concludes that good cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better cognitive performance from the start and a lower risk of dementia in the long term.
This good cardiorespiratory fitness, the authors add, could delay the onset of dementia by 18 months in certain individuals and reduce the impact of a genetic predisposition to the development of the disease by 35%.
“It’s interesting to see that it could help even those who have a genetic predisposition,” commented Professor Yves Lajoie, of the University of Ottawa. 35%, that’s not nothing. »
The authors of the study caution, however, that this is an observational study and that it is not possible to establish a causal link between good cardiorespiratory fitness and a reduced risk of dementia.
Individuals with better cardiorespiratory health, for example, could also have better lifestyle habits in terms of sleep, diet and stress management.
This study is still in line with several others which have shown that good physical shape is beneficial not only for the brain, but for all organs, recalled Professor Lajoie.
“With good cardiorespiratory function, we produce proteins that help us maintain good circulation in the brain, and that protects it,” he said. In forty years (of career), I have never seen a study that says exercise is not good. »
Cognitive processing speed
The second study was published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine by American researchers. They found, studying middle-aged individuals, that “everyday movements”, such as walking the dog or doing household chores, contributed to better brain functioning.
They specify that they were able to measure an improvement in cognitive processing speed equivalent to a rejuvenation of four years, according to a press release accompanying the study.
Improvements in brain function were seen immediately. Thus, during their experiment, the subjects demonstrated an improvement in their cognitive processing speed during tasks performed shortly after physical activity.
“When participants reported being physically active over the previous 3.5 hours, they showed an improvement in mental speed equivalent to being four years younger,” the authors write. This benefit was observed regardless of whether the reported activities were of higher intensity or not. »
