Our cognitive degradation starts early - so he slows down!

How can the cognitive decline be slowed down??

Unfortunately, people's cognitive abilities continue to decrease over the course of life. Physicians have long been looking for ways to combat these effects of aging. Regular aerobic exercise seems to help counteract cognitive decline.

Columbia University scientists have found in their current research that regular exercise seems to protect key cognitive abilities. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Neurology".

Aerobic training protects executive function of the brain

The current research found that in 132 subjects between the early 20s and the late 60s, there was an improvement in the so-called executive functions of the brain when they completed a regular aerobic exercise program. The executive function is cognitive skills that help us to plan ahead, to clarify things or to solve complex problems. Yaakov star.

What is aerobic training?

In aerobic training, the body is sufficiently supplied with oxygen. So the body can metabolize fats and carbohydrates and it is lactate formed in such small amounts that it can be directly broken down again. For an aerobic workout, sports such as running, cycling or swimming are offered.

Start early with aerobic training

Unfortunately, the executive functions at a certain age (age depends on the person) eventually peak and then decrease. However, this natural decline in executive functions seems to slow down. Surprisingly, the physicians noted that aerobic training can improve the executive function of participants over the age of twenty, which protects them from a decline in executive function later in life. The noted improvements in exercising aerobic exercise in terms of executive functions are significant enough to be of importance to people in their twenties, says study author Dr. Yaakov star.

Subjects trained for six months

In the study, Stern had subjects of all ages trained four times a week for six months. They have either completed aerobic exercise in certain areas of their heart rate (about 75 percent of their maximum heart rate), or they have performed stretching and other basic exercises. The team then tested volunteers' executive roles through a series of tasks related to memory or speed associations. These tests were performed once at half the time of the study and once at the end of the six-month trial.

There were statistically significant improvements in the results for individuals of all ages who were in the group of aerobic exercise, even among the 20 year old subjects. In reviewing the findings, the researchers found that the older someone was, the more dramatic the improvements in score compared to baseline. The study showed that the influence of aerobic exercise on executive functions increased with age, so that, for example, a 40-year-old experienced a greater improvement than a 30-year-old.

Advantages of aerobic training

Aerobic exercise can be beneficial for brain function because it can increase vascularization in the brain and thus help to make blood flow more consistent. Presumably, aerobic exercise also promotes plasticity, which preserves the versatility of brain cells and can create new connections. In addition, participants of the aerobic training group also increased the so-called cortical thickness of the brain, the outer layer of the brain mass. This increase in cortical thickness is important because cortical thinning is actually associated with diseases of aging that build up so-called plaques in the brain, such as dementia. Aerobic exercise also improved cortical thickness in people aged 20 years, who are not likely to experience significant cognitive decline. The data suggest that the introduction of regular exercise at an early stage could help the brain build these important defense mechanisms. At the age of 20, people probably do not have to worry about cognitive decline, but it seems like a few training sessions a week prepare people better to fight the negative effects of aging on the brain. (As)