Exercise increases brain volume • HealthNews

It’s no secret that physical fitness generally does something good for your health, but our brain obviously also benefits from regular exercise. This is shown at least by a current study by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in cooperation with the Greifswald University Medical Center. The scientists evaluated data from over 2,000 adult subjects and realized that the more physically fit the person, the greater the brain volume.

Prevent dementia with the movement of the common disease

The ever increasing life expectancy presents society and doctors with various challenges. The biggest of these is dementia. So far there are no effective treatment methods against the disease. This is precisely why effective prevention is being emphasized more and more. As is well known, a risk factor for dementia is lack of exercise, but now it seems to work the other way round too: physical activity apparently prevents the development of the disease. Several research projects have already suggested this. But why exactly that is the case is not yet clear.

study details

The new study now suggests that physical fitness can actually promote brain health and increase cognitive performance. The scientists around Prof. Grabe and private lecturer Dr. Sebastian Baumeister evaluated data from the SHIP study (Study of Health in Pomerania) regarding the question of whether there is a connection between physical activity and brain volume. Several thousand citizens from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania took part in the study, which examines factors for health and illness.
Data from 2,103 adults between the ages of 21 and 84 were integrated into the new research work, with an average age of 52 years. The test subjects took part in a stress test on the bicycle ergometer, in other partial examinations their brains were measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In order to determine physical fitness, the air inhaled and exhaled under maximum load was analyzed and the “maximum oxygen intake” identified. This provides information about the state of health of the cardiovascular system. The measured values ​​and the MRI data were used for a statistical analysis. The result speaks for itself: physical performance has been associated with a larger brain volume, because the fitter the subjects, the larger the volume of their brains. This applied not only to the total volume, but also to certain areas of the brain that are of enormous importance for memory and emotional or reward-related behavior. The hippocampus was one of them, a brain region that is always affected by Alzheimer’s.

Here, Doctor Weigl provides valuable basic knowledge about the structure of the brain and its functions:

Findings have been proven but not proven

The new data indicate that cardiorespiratory fitness can lead to better brain health and a slowdown in age-related brain mass loss. To date, the current research work is one of the most extensive studies of the connection between physical fitness and brain volume. It also covers a broad cross-section of the adult population.
In order to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, it is necessary to integrate physical activity into everyday life and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is the only way to actively prevent dementia. Even if the new results do not prove that athletic training actually increases, the statistical connection is undeniable. The exact causes are still unclear. Various sports of the study participants have already been identified and researched whether the brain volume changes only over a longer training period, but so far no new knowledge has been gained. It is also possible that the size of certain brain regions influences brain function in such a way that those affected are particularly motivated to exercise and are therefore fitter. If this is the case, then sport would not be the reason for the above-average brain volume, but vice versa.

Current state of research supports the assumption

However, further studies also suggest that regular sports sessions can increase brain volume. Physical activity ensures that the body’s own substances are released, which can prevent the loss of nerve cells. There are also signs that physical activity can promote the formation of new nerve cells. Both phenomena could provide an explanation for the observed effects on brain volume. The new study found a link between physical fitness and brain volume in both younger and older people. This suggests that physical activity may help maintain brain mass and prevent dementia, even in older age.

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