Alzheimer’s disease could be delayed with six minutes of high-intensity exercise | Health

six minutes of high intensity exercise may extend the lifespan of a healthy brain and delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. New research published in The Journal of Physiology shows that a short but intense cycle increases the production of a specialized protein that is essential for brain formation, learning and memory, and could protect the brain from the effects age related. cognitive decline. This overview of exercise is part of the drive to develop accessible, equitable, and affordable non-pharmacological approaches that everyone can take to promote healthy aging. (Also read: High intensity interval training or longer workouts? Here’s the best )

The specialized protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to form new connections and pathways) and the survival of neurons. Animal studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF encourages the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning, and improves overall cognitive performance. These key roles and its apparent neuroprotective qualities have led to interest in BDNF for aging research.

Lead author Travis Gibbons from the University of Otago, New Zealand, said: “BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have so far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans. approaches that can preserve brain capacity that humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to aid in healthy aging.

They found that brief but vigorous exercise was the most effective way to increase BDNF compared to a day of fasting with or without a long bout of light exercise. BDNF increased four to five fold (396 pg L-1 to 1170 pg L-1) compared to fasting (no change in BDNF concentration) or prolonged activity (slight increase in BDNF concentration, 336 pg L-1 to 390 pg L-1).

The cause of these differences is not yet known and further research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved. One hypothesis relates to the change in brain substrate and the metabolism of glucose, the brain’s main fuel source. Brain substrate switching occurs when the brain changes its preferred fuel source to another to ensure that the body’s energy demands are met, for example by metabolizing lactate rather than glucose during exercise. The brain’s transition from consuming glucose to lactate initiates pathways that lead to high levels of BDNF in the blood.

The observed increase in BDNF during exercise could be due to the increase in the number of platelets (the smallest blood cell) which store large amounts of BDNF. The concentration of platelets circulating in the blood is more strongly influenced by exercise than by fasting and increases by 20%.

12 physically active participants (six men, six women aged 18-56) participated in the study. The balanced ratio of male and female participants was intended to provide a better representation of the population rather than to indicate gender differences.

Further research is underway to further investigate the effects of calorie restriction and exercise to distinguish influence on BDNF and cognitive benefits.

Travis Gibbons said: “We are currently studying how fasting for longer durations, for example up to three days, influences BDNF. We are curious to know if intensive exercise at the start of a fast accelerates the beneficial effects Fasting and exercise are rarely studied. We believe that fasting and exercise can be used together to optimize BDNF production in the human brain.

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