A recent study revealed that regular aerobic exercise can significantly reduce indicators associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol in the UK and the University of São Paulo in Brazil, demonstrated how physical activity can protect healthy brain cells and restore balance in an aging brain.
Published in Brain Research journal, the study focused on the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. The researchers measured the impact of aerobic exercise on key Alzheimer’s indicators, such as amyloid plaques (clumps of protein fragments called beta-amyloid) and tau protein tangles (the main component of neurofibrillary tangles in cells), as well as the accumulation of iron in myelin-producing cells.
The lead author of the study, Augusto Cobi, a professor of veterinary morphology at the University of Bristol, explained that “physical exercise reduces cognitive decline, but the cellular mechanisms underlying their neuroprotective effects have remained unclear until now.” He added that this study “highlights the potential of aerobic exercise in Alzheimer’s prevention strategies.”
Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, remains without an effective treatment to this day and affects millions of people worldwide.