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Monday, January 8, 2018

Exercise Slows Brain Shrinkage

“Brain health decreases with age, with the average brain shrinking by approximately five per cent per decade after the age of 40....“

“Overall, the results showed that, while exercise had no effect on total hippocampal volume, it did significantly increase the size of the left region of the hippocampus in humans.”

"When you exercise you produce a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which may help to prevent age-related decline by reducing the deterioration of the brain... rather than actually increasing the size of the hippocampus per se, the main 'brain benefits' are due to aerobic exercise slowing down the deterioration in brain size. In other words, exercise can be seen as a maintenance program for the brain."

“The results have implications for the prevention of ageing-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia -- however further research is needed to establish this. Interestingly, physical exercise is one of the very few 'proven' methods for maintaining brain size and functioning into older age.”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171113195024.htm

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