Just six minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise a day is one of the most effective ways to keep your brain healthy as you age. A new study found that short periods of exercise boost levels of a brain protein known to optimize cognitive health.
It is certainly not news to suggest that exercise is essential for healthy brain aging. There has been a steady stream of research showing links between exercise and cognitive health, all the way to reducing the effects of disability.
However, it is less clear how exercise helps the brain. This new research focuses on a specific protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a key molecule involved in brain cell growth, function and survival. It has also been shown to improve memory and slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
“BDNF shows great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have so far failed to safely harness the protective potential of BDNF in humans,” said the first author of the new study. Travis Gibbons said. Approaches that can preserve brain capacity that humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to aid in healthy aging.
The purpose of this study was to understand how fasting and exercise affect BDNF production. To do this, the researchers recruited 12 healthy volunteers to undergo 20 hours of fasting, 90 minutes of low-intensity cycling, 6 minutes of high-intensity vigorous cycling, or a combination of fasting and low-intensity exercise. We tested BDNF responses to four different interventions. .
The findings revealed that short bursts of vigorous exercise dramatically increased levels of circulating BDNF compared to all other interventions tested. high-intensity exercise was significantly more effective in raising BDNF levels than prolonged low-intensity exercise.
“A 6-minute high-intensity cycling interval increased all measures of circulating BDNF 4- to 5-fold more than long-term low-intensity cycling. It correlated with a six-fold increase in circulating lactate,” the researchers reported. “Compared to one-day fasting, with or without prolonged light exercise, high-intensity exercise is a much more efficient means of increasing circulating BDNF.
It is important to note that the focus of the study was very narrow. The researchers only looked at how exercise and/or fasting affected plasma BDNF levels. Subsequent interpretations of brain aging remain highly speculative.
Nonetheless, given the body of existing evidence that exercise improves cognition and that BDNF levels are associated with brain health, these findings provide insight into how best to maintain the aging brain. Adds a new piece to the puzzle. More research is already underway into how exercise affects BDNF, says Gibbons.
Mr Gibbons said: Fasting and exercise are rarely studied together. We believe that the combined use of fasting and exercise can optimize BDNF production in the human brain. “
The new research Journal of Physiology.
Source: Physiological Society
