Resistance training twice weekly may decrease effects of aging on the brain
We recently had a blog post on the benefits of using your brain to visualize exercise. Now, a new study completed at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver suggests that performing light resistance training twice per week may delay age-related brain atrophy. There is plentiful evidence on the effects of cardiovascular exercise and the brain but this may be the first evidence that weight training has a similar effect.
Like our musculoskeletal system, our neurological system can weaken as we age if not stressed appropriately. Typically by middle age, the white matter in our brains, which is responsible for passing information to other parts of the brain, develops holes or lesions. These lesions are typically unnoticed until later in life, when they spread and multiply and can affect cognition and memory. Older people with a greater number of lesions tend to have greater cognitive difficulties than those with fewer lesions. Moderate aerobic activity, such as walking, swimming, or jogging, may slow the progression of these lesions.
The new study, lead by a physical therapist in Canada, is linking similar results to twice-weekly strength training. Their study involved 54 women between the ages of 65 and 75, who were placed in three groups: once-weekly strength training, twice-weekly strength training, and twice-weekly balance and stretching exercise. At the end of the testing period, those who were in the twice-weekly strength training group showed less atrophy and less growth of white matter lesions. The study did not examine whether this affected memory or cognition, but it does demonstrate that a minimal threshold for light resistance training may be twice weekly. This, combined with regular moderate aerobic exercise, may be the most effective intervention in slowing white matter loss.
Just further evidence that exercise is medicine!
Check out the New York Times article here; the abstract for the study can be found here.
