Want to protect yourself from dementia? Regular exercise can help protect brain cells

Exercise can enhance fitness as well as boost brain metabolism which can protect brain cells and prevent dementia in old age.

Regular physical exercise not only enhances fitness but also has a positive impact on brain metabolism, researchers say. The findings showed that physical activity prevented an increase in choline — a macronutrient that’s important for liver function, normal brain development, nerve function, muscle movement, supporting energy levels and maintaining a healthy metabolism.

Regular physical activity prevents an increase in choline — a macronutrient that’s important for liver function, normal brain development and nerve function. (Shutterstock)

Previous research had also shown that regular physical exercise heightens the brain size of senior citizens and lowers the risk of cognitive decline. Another study showed that exercising, even for half an hour a week, can improve the health of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

The concentration of this metabolite often rises as a result of the increased loss of nerve cells, which typically occurs in the case of Alzheimer’s disease, said Johannes Pantel, Professor at the Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany. In the study, physical exercise led to stable cerebral choline concentrations in the training group, whereas choline levels increased in the control group.

The participants were asked to mount an exercise bike three times a week over a period of 12 weeks for 30-minute training sessions. Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were used to measure brain metabolism and brain structure. The results showed that regular physical exercise seems beneficial in the prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia in old age.

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