Regular Exercise Slows Cognitive Decline and Age-Related Damage to the Brain

Maintaining fitness through the practice of regular exercise improves health in old age, slowing the pace of damage to the brain and consequent cognitive decline. While there is largely only correlational data in humans to show a link between exercise and a slower pace of neurodegeneration, many animal studies make it clear that exercise causes an improved trajectory for health in later life. It does not extend overall life span in mice, as is the case for calorie restriction, but is otherwise very effective for an intervention that is essentially free. This beneficial outcome is likely due to a combination of overlapping mechanisms, and it is presently hard to say which of those mechanisms are more important. Exercise upregulates cellular maintenance processes such as autophagy, and it is well demonstrated in animal studies that more autophagy improves long term health. Exercise also reduces chronic inflammation, and, when present, that inflammation drives a more rapid progression of all of the common age-related conditions. Fitter people tend to carry less visceral fat tissue, and excess visceral fat accelerates the pace of aging through a more rapid creation of senescent cells, as well as other processes that increase chronic inflammation. Fitter people also exhibit better cardiovascular function and lesser degrees of age-related hypertension, both of which are important when it comes to avoiding structural damage and functional decline in brain tissue. Res...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs