Exercise + good sleep best combo for aging brains

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Exercising regularly may help protect against mental decline in an aging brain. But poor sleep can negate these benefits.

A new study found that people who were more active but slept less than six hours on average had faster cognitive (mental) decline. After 10 years, their cognitive function was equivalent to that of their more inactive peers.

“Our study suggests that getting enough sleep may be necessary to reap the full cognitive benefits of physical activity. This shows how important it is to consider sleep and physical activity together when thinking about health. cognitive,” said the lead author. Dr Mikaela Bloombergfrom University College London (UCL) Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, England.

“Previous studies examining how sleep and physical activity might combine to affect cognitive function have been mostly cross-sectional – focusing only on a snapshot in time – and we were surprised that regular physical activity was not still sufficient to counteract the long-term effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive health,” Bloomberg added in a university press release.

The new study included more than 8,950 people in England aged 50 and over.

Participants were asked how long they slept on an average weeknight and they were divided into three groups: those who slept an average of less than six hours; those who got the optimal six to eight hours; and long sleepers, those who average more than eight hours per night.

Each was also scored on the frequency and intensity of self-reported physical activity and divided into two groups: more active (the top third of scores) and less active.

To assess participants’ mental function, they were asked to recall a list of 10 words, both immediately and after a period of time. They also took a fluency test, in which they were asked to name as many animals as possible in one minute.

People were excluded if they self-reported a diagnosis of dementia or if their test results indicated mental impairment.

The study found that six to eight hours of sleep per night and higher levels of physical activity were linked to better cognitive function.

Those who were more active also had better mental function, regardless of how long they slept at the start of the study. The researchers noted that this changed over the 10-year study period, with those who slept less than six hours having a faster decline.

This decline was true for people in their 50s and 60s, but those 70 and older retained the mental benefits of exercise even with shorter sleep.

“It is important to identify factors that may protect cognitive function in middle and later life, as they may serve to prolong our cognitively healthy years and, for some people, delay a diagnosis of dementia,” said the co-author of the study. Andrew Steptoe from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care. “The World Health Organization already identifies physical activity as a way to maintain cognitive function, but interventions must also consider sleep patterns to maximize long-term cognitive health benefits.”

One limitation of the study is that participants self-reported their sleep duration and physical activity.

The results were published in the July issue of The Lancet Healthy longevity.

The US National Institute on Aging has more on mild cognitive impairment.

SOURCE: University College London, press release, July 5, 2023

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