Stopping your exercise program can rapidly decrease brain blood flow

A small study involving older endurance athletes found that stopping their exercise for just 10 days was enough to significantly decrease blood flow to several important brain regions.

A small study involving 12 very fit older adults (aged 50-80; average age 61) found that, after stopping their exercise routines for 10 days, there was a significant decrease in blood flow to several brain regions, including the hippocampus and regions involved in the default mode network (both the hippocampus and the DMN show deterioration early in Alzheimer’s).

The study participants all had at least 15 years history of participating in endurance exercise and had recently competed in an endurance event; their usual exercise regimens had to entail at least four hours of high intensity endurance training each week. The group had a peak oxygen capacity above 90% for their age. This is a measure of the maximal rate of oxygen consumption of an individual and reflects their aerobic physical fitness.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-08/uom-uio082916.php

Reference:

Alfini, A. J., Weiss, L. R., Leitner, B. P., Smith, T. J., Hagberg, J. M., & Smith, J. C. (2016). Hippocampal and Cerebral Blood Flow after Exercise Cessation in Master Athletes. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00184

Exercise

Lifestyle

Related News

Nature walks improve cognition in people with depression

I’ve talked before about Dr Berman’s research into Attention Restoration Theory, which proposes that people concentrate better after nature walks or even just looking at nature scenes.

How exercise affects the brain, and who it benefits

I’ve mentioned before that, for some few people, exercise doesn’t seem to have a benefit, and the benefits of exercise for fighting age-related cognitive decline may not apply to those carrying the Alzheimer’s gene.

Why exercise helps memory and learning

A number of studies, principally involving rodents, have established that physical exercise stimulates the creation of new brain cells in the

Resistance training benefits seniors with MCI

A study involving 86 older women (aged 70-80) with probable

Being active reduces Alzheimer's risk

A four-year study involving 716 elderly (average age 82) has revealed that those who were most physically active were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those least active.

Walking speed and grip strength may predict dementia, stroke risk

Following on from research showing an association between lower walking speed and increased risk of dementia, and weaker hand grip strength and increased dementia risk, a large study has explored whether this association extends to middle-aged and younger-old adults.

Support for link between physical activity & academic success

A review of 10 observational and four intervention studies as said to provide strong evidence for a positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance in young people (6-18).

'Exergames' may provide greater cognitive benefit for older adults

We know that physical exercise greatly helps you prevent cognitive decline with aging. We know that mental stimulation also helps you prevent age-related cognitive decline. So it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a way of combining the two.

Why diabetes is linked to cognitive impairment in older adults

Why is diabetes associated with cognitive impairment and even dementia in older adults? New research pinpoints two molecules that trigger a cascade of events that end in poor blood flow and brain atrophy.

How neighborhood status affects cognitive function in older adults

In the last five years, three studies have linked lower neighborhood socioeconomic status to lower cognitive function in older adults. Neighborhood has also been linked to self-rated health, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.

Pages