High-intensity exercise may improve memory, recent research at the McMaster University claims. The findings of this research could have implications for an aging population which is grappling with the growing problem of catastrophic diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's.
‘Individuals who experience greater fitness gains also experience greater increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth, function and survival of brain cells.’
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Scientists have found that six weeks of intense exercise--short bouts of interval training over the course of 20 minutes--showed significant improvements in what is known as high-interference memory, which, for example, allows us to distinguish our car from another of the same make and model.The findings are important because memory performance of the study participants, who were all healthy young adults, increased over a relatively short period of time, say researchers.
They also found that participants who experienced greater fitness gains also experienced greater increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth, function and survival of brain cells.
"Improvements in this type of memory from exercise might help to explain the previously established link between aerobic exercise and better academic performance," says Jennifer Heisz, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster and lead author of the study.
"At the other end of our lifespan, as we reach our senior years, we might expect to see even greater benefits in individuals with memory impairment brought on by conditions such as dementia," she says.
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Researchers measured changes in aerobic fitness, memory and neurotrophic factor, before and after the study protocol.
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Researchers have begun to examine older adults to determine if they will experience the same positive results with the combination of exercise and cognitive training.
"One hypothesis is that we will see greater benefits for older adults given that this type of memory declines with age," says Heisz. "However, the availability of neurotrophic factors also declines with age and this may mean that we do not get the synergistic effects."
The study is published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Source-Eurekalert