High-intensity exercise can be a non-pharmacological approach to Alzheimer’s.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — A new study reveals that exercising at high intensity for six minutes can lengthen brain health and delay illness Alzheimer and Parkinsons. Studies published in Journal of Physiology on Jan. 11 it found short, high-intensity cycling can increase the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
BDNF is important for brain formation, learning, and memory. In fact, BDNF may protect the brain from age-related mental decline.
Lead study author Travis Gibbons of the University of Otago, New Zealand said BDNF had shown great promise in animal models. However, pharmaceutical interventions have so far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans.
“We saw a need to explore non-pharmacological approaches that could maintain the human brain’s capacity to naturally increase BDNF to help maintain physical and mental health capabilities,” said Gibbons.
BDNF supports the brain’s ability to form new connections and pathways and helps neurons survive. Animal studies have shown that increased availability of BDNF can improve cognitive performance, such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering.
As for studies in humans, the researchers wanted to see the effect of fasting and exercise on BDNF production. They asked groups of men and women to fast, 90 minutes of low-intensity cycling, six minutes of high-intensity cycling, and a combination of fasting and exercise.
“Brief, high-intensity exercise is the most efficient way to increase BDNF compared to a one-day fast with or without prolonged, low-intensity exercise,” the researchers said.
