Thread: Stronger muscles lead to stronger brain study shows

-A study led by the University of Sydney in Australia has found that gradually increasing muscle strength through activities such as weightlifting improves cognitive function.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at the University of New South Wales and the University of Adelaide.

The results have been published in the Journal of American Geriatrics.

The trial involved a Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) carried out on patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) between 55-68 years old. Patients with MCI have a higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease...

... Previous studies have shown a positive link between physical exercise and cognitive function, but the SMART trial led by Dr. Mavros provides further information on the type, quality, and frequency of exercise needed to get the full cognitive benefits.

In the trial, participants did weightlifting sessions twice a week for 6 months, working to at least 80 percent of their peak strength. The weights were gradually increased as participants got stronger, all the while maintaining their peak strength at 80 percent.

"The more we can get people doing resistance training like weightlifting, the more likely we are to have a healthier aging population," says Dr. Mavros. "The key, however, is to make sure you are doing it frequently, at least twice a week, and at a high intensity so that you are maximizing your strength gains. This will give you the maximum benefit for your brain..."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313686.php

Having trained people between 40 and 80 for years, it seems to me that this applies to some extent to aging in general. Not to every marker there is but in several ways. The aging process is decelerated to some degree and it doesn't seem to merely have to do with what is specifically improved (strength, muscularity, endurance). None of those people smoke, use drugs or drink more than a little bit, that may factor into it. My idea of this is that managing to get very old (80+) by way of medical science and failing to stay fit at the same time makes people become very old (as in aged) in the end. Several of the board participants here are statistically likely to live to 90 or even 100 but technically being relatively healthy may not be enough to make those years happy years as they may come to be dominated by a very low level of fitness as aging progresses.

At 45, I can grab the basketball rim at a bodyweight of 198 pounds. I was able to do that at 17 as well but I wouldn't have been able to with the same bodyweight. All it involves is consistently working out 2-3 times a week, weights and running. Progressive training, IOW trying to improve one's ability, is the key though. Many people work out every day but don't try to improve their ability, they just put in a lot of work.

My bwain is stwong