A longitudinal study published in 2010 Aging and Disease A study from the University of Queensland has shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves brain function in healthy older adults, with the benefits lasting for up to five years.
“Six months of high-intensity interval training is enough to flip the switch,” said Perry Bartlett, professor emeritus of neuroscience. Previous preclinical studiesWe found that exercise activates stem cells, increases the production of neurons in the hippocampus, and improves cognitive performance.”
the study
“In this study, a large cohort of healthy volunteers aged 65 to 85 took part in a six-month exercise program, tested their biomarkers and cognitive performance, and underwent high-resolution brain scans,” Bartlett said. “We followed them up five years after the program, and incredibly, their cognitive performance was still improving, even though they had stopped exercising.”
“If we can change the trajectory of ageing and keep people cognitively healthy for longer with a simple intervention like exercise, we have the potential to spare our communities the enormous personal, economic and societal costs associated with dementia,” Bartlett explained.
The study assessed the effects of three exercise intensities.
- Low – Mainly motor function, balance, stretching
- Moderate – brisk walking on a treadmill
- High – Run 4 cycles on a treadmill at near maximal effort
Investigation result
“High-resolution MRI scans of this group showed changes in the structure and connectivity of the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory,” said Dr Daniel Blackmore, “We also found blood biomarkers that changed in correlation with improved cognitive performance. Biomarkers can help predict the benefits of the exercise a person is undertaking.”
According to the researchers, only high-intensity interval training led to improvements in cognitive function that were maintained for up to five years. Ageing is one of the biggest risk factors for dementia, and with one in three people over the age of 85 likely to develop the condition, the implications of these findings are far-reaching.
Next steps
Blackmore added that while further research is needed to use biomarkers as diagnostic tools for exercise, “our findings may inform exercise guidelines for older people and further research could evaluate different types of exercise that could be incorporated into aged care.”
“We are now investigating genetic factors that may modulate a person’s response to exercise to see whether we can identify who will respond to this intervention and who will not,” Blackmore said.
