All of our organs deteriorate as we get older, and that includes the brain, but healthy lifestyle habits can delay the signs of aging, both internal and external, and regular exercise helps prevent health problems. The benefits of physical exercise have been shown in many studies, and new research reveals that engaging in high-intensity exercise for six minutes a day could maintain brain health and delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The results of the study have been published in The Journal of Physiology and show that a brief but intense session of cycling increases the production of a specialized protein that is key to brain formation, learning and memory, and could prolong life. lifespan of a healthy brain and protect it from age-associated cognitive decline. The findings support the development of non-pharmacological, equitable and accessible approaches so that all people can enjoy active and healthy aging.
A specialized protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to form new connections) and the survival of neurons. Animal studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF promotes the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning, and generally increases cognitive performance. These important functions and its apparent neuroprotective properties have made BDNF a key element of aging research.
Increasing the availability of BDNF promotes the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning, and increases cognitive performance.
Lead author Travis Gibbons, from the University of Otago, New Zealand, said: “BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have so far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans. We saw a need to explore non-pharmacological methods, approaches that can preserve the brain’s ability that humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to help with healthy aging.”
The brief but intense exercise that protects the brain
The study involved 12 physically active individuals (six men and six women between the ages of 18 and 56) with the goal of better representing the population, rather than indicating gender differences. In addition, the researchers separated the influence of fasting and exercise on BDNF production by comparing the following factors to study isolated and interactive effects:
- 20 hour fast.
- Light exercise (90 minute low intensity cycling).
- High intensity exercise (six minutes of vigorous cycling).
- Fasting and exercise combined.
In this way they were able to verify that brief but vigorous exercise was the most effective way to increase BDNF compared to a fasting day, with or without a prolonged bout of light exercise. BDNF increased four to five times (396 pg L-1 to 1170 pg L-1) more compared to fasting (no change in BDNF concentration) or prolonged activity (slight increase in BDNF concentration, 336 pg L-1 to 390 pg L-1).
They did not discover, however, what was the cause of the observed differences, so it is necessary to continue investigating to understand the mechanisms involved, although there is a hypothesis related to the change in brain substrate and glucose metabolism, the main source of brain energy. Brain substrate switching refers to when the brain switches from its main energy source to another to ensure that the body’s energy needs are met, for example, metabolizing lactate instead of glucose during exercise. The transition of the brain from consuming glucose to lactate initiates pathways that result in elevated levels of BDNF in the blood.
The increase in BDNF observed during exercise could be due to the increased number of platelets (the smallest blood cells), which store large amounts of BDNF. The concentration of platelets circulating in the blood is more influenced by exercise than by fasting and increases by 20%.
Travis Gibbons has highlighted: “We are now studying how fasting for longer periods of time, for example up to three days, influences BDNF. We are curious if vigorous exercise at the beginning of a fast accelerates the beneficial effects of the fast. Fasting and exercise are rarely studied together. We believe that fasting and exercise can be used together to optimize BDNF production in the human brain.”
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