By Bridget Sheehan
We already know exercise is good for the brain. But there is so much more to discover, especially in relation to brain disease.
Victoria University (VU) Senior Research Fellow Dr James Broatch and team are investigating how exercise could be used as a medical intervention to potentially prevent dementia or slow down the progress of the disease.
The team is closely studying three biological mechanisms triggered by exercise: the impact of increased blood flow to the brain; how proteins and extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by contracting muscles influence brain function; and how cognitive stimulation from exercise might improve connectivity between different parts of the brain.
The team uses state-of-the-art neuroimaging and molecular biology techniques to assess the impact of exercise at the cellular level.
A recent research project with participants aged 45 to 65, who were previously sedentary, has shown encouraging results. Participants underwent a brain MRI scan, and a fitness and cognition test, before and after a 12-week cycling exercise program. The preliminary findings suggest exercise intensity is an important regulator of a number of physiological processes linked with brain health (that typically decline with age and in diseases like Alzheimer’s): brain blood flow, white matter integrity and connectivity.
Dr Broatch’s top tips for exercise and brain health
Even if you’re young, start now: what we do earlier in life has a profound effect on brain health as we age. The habits that you start in your thirties and forties will set a good baseline for your brain and will reduce the risk of brain dysfunction linked with ageing.
Any exercise is better than no exercise. Start by increasing your incidental physical activity: park a little bit further away at work and walk, take the stairs instead of the lift – it all adds up. When you become more comfortable with these routines, start increasing the duration, frequency, and intensity of your exercise. Importantly, do something that you enjoy, as you are more likely to stick to it!
Don’t underestimate the importance of strength training for brain health. Muscle strength is one of the strongest predictors of dementia risk, and this is increasingly important as we age when daily living activities become harder.
Improving health through research
Victoria University’s researchers are working on urgent and complex health issues in Melbourne’s West and Australia at our new, four-level VU Research Facility, co-located at the new Footscray Hospital.
With expertise in physiology, neurology, biomedicine, exercise physiology, psychology, dietetics, community health, AI, and more, Victoria University’s researchers are making major inroads on challenges in preventive disease and healthy ageing.
Being onsite at Footscray Hospital means researchers can work directly with clinicians, allied health professionals and patients – through these direct connections and new space health trial participation can increase by up to 50%.
Take part in clinical trials at the VU Health Research Facility at Footscray Hospital.
