In 2020, researchers in Australia discovered that lifting weights could help to protect vulnerable parts of the brain in later life, especially for those at risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
One hundred participants, who were deemed to be at high risk for Alzheimer’s due to mild cognitive impairment, took part in the clinical trial. The study, at the University of Sydney, lasted for six months, and was followed by monitoring normal activity for a year afterwards.
The participants were randomly split into groups to undertake brain training, strength training, or a combination of brain and strength training. Strength training was completed under supervision for a total of 90 minutes each week, split across two or three gym sessions.
The results showed that strength training led to benefits for cognitive performance, and protection of degeneration in specific subregions of the hippocampus (a part of the brain which helps to facilitate learning and memory). It’s believed that this could help to not only slow degeneration, but halt if for an extended period – initial findings showing this effect could last for up to a year.
“This is the first time any intervention, medical or lifestyle, has been able to slow and even halt degeneration in brain areas particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease over such a long time,” said Professor Valenzuela, from the Sydney Medical School in the Faculty of Medicine and Health.
“Given this was also linked to protection from cognitive decline, the message is clear: resistance exercise needs to become a standard part of dementia risk-reduction strategies,” he said.
You can read more about the study on the University of Sydney website here:
https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/02/11/strength-training-can-help-protect-the-brain-from-degeneration.html
