High-intensity exercise improves cognitive function and prevents brain shrinkage in older adults.
Exercise boosts brain health, but what kind of exercise provides the greatest benefit? A recent study found that high-intensity exercise improved cognitive function and maintained brain volume in older adults—with effects lasting five years or more.
The study involved 151 older adults (65-85 years old) who engaged in low, moderate, or high-intensity exercise three times a week for six months. They underwent regular cognitive testing (to assess hippocampal function), blood sampling, and MRI scans (to measure brain volume and connectivity) before, during, and after the intervention.
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Only the participants who engaged in high-intensity exercise showed improvement in their hippocampal function. They also maintained higher brain volumes and connectivity and higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than those who engaged in low to moderate-intensity exercise. Higher BDNF levels correlated with better hippocampal-dependent cognitive performance, which endured for five years or longer.
These findings suggest that high-intensity exercise markedly improves brain function in older adults. Learn more about the brain-boosting effects of high-intensity exercise in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.