Weight training shields the brain from dementia in older adults

The benefits of weight training are a lot: it promotes profit in strength and muscle mass, reduces body fat and contributes to well -being and mental health. And now a study has conducted the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, shown another important effect: it protects the brains of the elderly against dementia. The results were published in the magazine Geroscience.

The study included 44 people with mild cognitive disorders – an intermediate clinical state between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease in which cognitive decline is greater than expected, indicating a higher risk of dementia. The results showed that strength training not only improved memory performance, but also changed brain anatomy.

After six months of biweekly weight training, the participants showed protection against atrophy in the Hippocampus and precuneus brain areas associated with Alzheimer’s disease-equitations in parameters that reflect the health of neurons (integrity of white substance).

“We already knew that there would be physical improvement. Cognitive improvement was also proposed, but we wanted to see the effect of weight training on the brains of older people with mild cognitive impairment. The study showed that, luckily, weight training is a strong ally against dementia, even for people who are a phadora, ISADORA Says the Isadora.

The work was carried out within the framework of the Brazilian Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (Brasn) – A Fapesp Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center (RIDC) – and is the first to demonstrate what happens to the integrity of the white issue of individuals with mild cognitive disorders.

“In addition to neuropsychological tests, we also performed MRI scans at the beginning and end of the research. These results are very important because they indicate that more physical educators in the public health system are absorbed at the level of public health care at the level of primary health care, because increased muscle strength is associated with a reduced risk of dementia.

“The new anti-amyloid drugs approved in the United States are, for example, indicated for the treatment of dementia and for people with mild cognitive disorders, costs around USD 30,000 a year. These are very high costs. These non-pharmacological measures, as we have shown, is also the case with weight training, but also effective, effective, effective, effective, effective in the prevention of dementia, but also effective, effective in the occurrence of dementia. The research advice.

Protocol

The research participants were divided into two groups: Half underwent a resistance exercise program with weight training sessions twice a week, with moderate to high intensity and with progressive taxes; The other half did not practice during the study period and was part of the so -called control group.

In the analyzes that were carried out at the end of the intervention, the volunteers who practiced weight training had better performance in verbal episodic memory, improved integrity of neurons and areas related to Alzheimer’s disease against atrophy, while the control group showed a worse of brain parameters.

“A characteristic of people with mild cognitive disorders is that they have volume loss in some brain areas related to the development of Alzheimer’s. But in the group that did strength training, the right side of the Hippocampus and precuneus against atrophy were protected. This result, especially for older weight trains.

The researcher believes that a longer training period can lead to even more positive results than those in the research. “All individuals in the Bodybuilding group showed improvements in memory and brain anatomy. However, five of them achieved the end of the study without a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive disorders, such as their improvement. This leads us to imagine that longer training sessions, for example three years, to go to the future, to go to the future.

According to the researchers, weight training can protect the brain against dementia on two fronts: by stimulating the production of neural growth factor (an important protein for the growth, maintenance and survival of neurons) and by promoting global disinfections in the body.

“Every physical exercise, whether it concerns weight training or aerobic activity, it is known that it increases the levels of a chemical substance involved in the growth of brain cells. It can also mobilize anti-inflammatory T cells. This is essential. The more pro-inflammatory protein dysfunon, that ultimately the dysparage, that is the dysphand of dysfunon, that ultimate dysfunon, that ultimate dysfunon, that is the dysphand of dysfunon, which ultimate the dysfunon, which is the dysphand of the dysphand, that dysphandage, which is the dysphandage, that dysphandage, that is the dysphable-dysfunon, which is the dysphandage, which ultimate dysphandage, which is the dysphand of dysphandage, which ultimate the dysphandon. cherishes, “Balhazar statement,” Balhazar statement, “Balhazar statement,” Balhazar statement, “Balhazar statement,” Balhazar statement, “Balhazar who eventually cherishes neurons,” Balhazar statement.

To assess these issues, the volunteer levels of irisine and BDNF (brain derived by the neurotrophe factor) fabrics whose synthesis is stimulated by muscle contraction and which are associated with neural protection and synaptic plasticity measured. The results are currently being analyzed.

“It is a continuation of this study in which we will try to better understand how these factors are related to changes in brain anatomy. We believe that it is a series of anti -inflammatory and neuroprotective factors that lead to these changes,” predicts Ribeiro.