Protecting our brains helps us stay sharper later in life so we can continue to do the cognitive tasks and activities we love. Some days, I feel like my brain is working better than other days, and lots of factors tend to come into it, such as how well I slept and how I’ve been eating. One factor that plays a role is exercise. I’m impressed by much of the research so far, which shows us how regular exercise is beneficial for our brains and boosts BDNF. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that aids in the survival and growth of neurons and allows your brain to change and adapt over time, which is crucial for learning and memory.
Recently, researchers wanted to know whether working out and building muscle are protective against the risk of dementia. Are you at a higher risk of dementia if you have muscle loss over the years? Let’s take a look at the research.
The study
In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, & Aging, researchers explored the association between muscle loss and issues with memory. The study involved 2,163 adults over the age of 64 who didn’t have any symptoms of dementia. Researchers focused on muscle loss and memory decline. For the six-year study, participants completed questionnaires that helped researchers identify signs of muscle loss and cognitive decline.
The questionnaire included questions about strength and whether participants had difficulty standing up from a chair, needed help walking, experienced falls, or had trouble with mobility. Participants were also asked if they had issues with attention span, memory, or both.
The results
135 of the 2,163 adults developed dementia over the course of the study. Here are the interesting results:
- Those who only had memory issues were 1.8 times more likely to develop dementia.
- Those who only experienced sarcopenia (physical decline) were 2.4 times more likely to get dementia.
- Those with both sarcopenia and memory issues were 2.5 times more likely to get dementia.
The researchers concluded that muscle loss and memory troubles increased the risk of developing dementia later.
The takeaway
This study shows us that building muscle over the years doesn’t just give us a more sculpted physique; it also helps protect our brains and could lower the risk of dementia. The next time I’m struggling through those last few reps, I’ll try to remember that I’m also keeping my brain sharp. This adds to previous research showing that older adults who regularly lifted weights had improvements in the strength of brain neurons, white matter of the brain, and verbal episodic memory.
