High-intensity interval training boosts brain metabolism in both younger and older adults, potentially protecting cognitive function in brain areas vulnerable to early Alzheimer's-related changes. Digest
Aerobic exercise increases blood flow and promotes structural changes in the brain, supporting cognitive health. A recent study found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) enhances how much glucose the brain uses, particularly in regions that tend to decline early in Alzheimer’s disease.
The study included 27 sedentary adults, both younger (ages 18 to 30) and older (ages 65 to 80), who engaged in fewer than two 30-minute exercise sessions per week. Participants were assigned to either a 12-week HIIT program or an inactive group. The HIIT regimen involved five days of exercise per week—three days in which they engaged in high-intensity intervals lasting four minutes each, and two days of moderate-intensity treadmill walking for 45 minutes. Researchers assessed cardiorespiratory fitness and measured brain glucose uptake using advanced imaging techniques before and after the intervention.
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Participants in the HIIT group improved their cardiorespiratory fitness, while those in the inactive group did not. In addition, among those who completed the HIIT program, glucose uptake increased in the parietal-temporal region and caudate—areas of the brain that are particularly vulnerable to early Alzheimer’s-related changes.
These findings suggest that high-intensity exercise can boost brain metabolism in both younger and older adults, even after a history of inactivity, potentially helping to preserve cognitive function as the brain ages. Learn more about how vigorous physical activity like HIIT benefits the brain in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.