Research suggests that a specific type of exercise may be the key to preventing Alzheimer’s disease. A new study has investigated the link between physical fitness and cognitive decline, a pressing concern with over 944,000 people living with dementia in the UK.
The project focused on the hippocampus, a brain region essential for memory and often one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer’s. Researchers put mice through various exercise routines to observe its impact on markers of the disease, including ‘tau tangles’ that cause cell damage and inflammation.
The results showed a significant 63% decrease in tau tangles among mice on a consistent aerobic exercise regimen, as well as an increase in protective ‘oligodendrocytes’. Amyloid plaques, another characteristic of Alzheimer’s, dropped by 76% in the active mice, helping to restore balance in the brain.
Dr Augusto Coppi, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Bristol and one of the study’s senior authors, said: “Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure, impacting millions worldwide.
“While physical exercise is known to reduce cognitive decline, the cellular mechanisms behind its neuroprotective effects have remained elusive—until now. This research highlights the potential for aerobic exercise to serve as a cornerstone in preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s.”
Aerobic exercise is defined as any activity that raises your heart rate and the body’s use of oxygen to produce energy. This includes a range of activities such as running, swimming, cycling, and walking.
Although the research only involved only mice, scientists are optimistic that similar patterns will be observed in humans. They are now planning clinical trials to verify these findings.
Their sentiments have been echoed by other experts too, including ageing and health specialist Professor Claire Steves from King’s College London. In a previous ZOE Podcast, she highlighted that a brisk 45-minute walk three times a week could significantly enhance cognitive health.
“So, to improve your cognitive health, you need to do more exercise than you’re doing now – up to a point – unless you’re an Olympic athlete,” she said at the time. “That’s the key thing. If we look at really big population studies, we can see effects, even with minimal levels of exercise and it’s fairly linear…So, whatever you’re doing, if you go up by a third, you’ll be improving yourself.”
These insights also arrive amidst reports that modifying lifestyle factors could prevent up to 45% of dementia cases. The University of Oxford indicated that factors such as tiredness, alcohol, and even pollution could contribute, following an analysis of 40,000 brain scans.
Professor Gwenaëlle Douaud, who led the study, said last year: “We know that a constellation of brain regions degenerates earlier in aging, and in this new study we have shown that these specific parts of the brain are most vulnerable to diabetes, traffic-related air pollution − increasingly a major player in dementia − and alcohol, of all the common risk factors for dementia.”