Exercise
is smart for your heart – and makes you smarter
In
a new study, previously sedentary adults were put through four months of
high-intensity interval training. At the end, their cognitive functions – the
ability to think, recall and make quick decisions – had improved significantly,
says Dr. Martin Juneau, director of prevention at the Montreal Heart Institute.
“If you talk to
people who exercise, they say they feel sharper. Now we’ve found a way to
measure that,” says Dr. Juneau.
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| "Activity can help you even if it’s spread out in chunks of 10 minutes or more at a time.” |
Blood flow to the
brain increases during exercise. The more fit you are, the more that increases.
The pilot study – presented today at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress –
looked at adults, average age 49, who were overweight and inactive. Dr. Juneau
and his colleagues measured their cognitive function with neuropsychological
testing, as well as their body composition, blood flow to the brain, cardiac
output and their maximum ability to tolerate exercise.
The subjects then
began a twice-a-week routine with an exercise bike and circuit weight training.
After four months – not surprising – their weight, body mass index, fat mass
and waist circumference were all significantly lower. Meanwhile, their capacity
to exercise (measured by VO2 max) was up 15 per cent.
Most exciting, says
Dr. Juneau, cognitive function had also increased, based on follow-up testing.
These improvements were proportional to the changes in exercise capacity and
body weight. Essentially, the more people could exercise, and the more weight
they lost, the sharper they became.
A decline in
cognitive function is a normal part of aging, notes Dr. Juneau. That drop can
be worse for people who have coronary disease.
“It’s reassuring to
know that you can at least partially prevent that decline by exercising and losing
weight,” says Dr. Juneau.
As he notes, people
can manage their cholesterol or blood pressure with a pill, but try to find a
pill that will increase your cognitive function. Exercise, he says, can do it
all.
“At least 150 minutes
of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week can make a huge difference
to manage risk factors for heart disease and stroke,” says Dr. Beth Abramson,
Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson. “There are many benefits of exercise
– we know it can make us feel better. This suggests it can make us ‘think
better’ as well.”
“Activity can help
you even if it’s spread out in chunks of 10 minutes or more at a time,” she
says. “In fact, to get the most benefit, add more activity to your life over
several days of the week.”
Read more at scienceblog.com
