For decades, different teams of researchers have been studying the effects of physical activity on mental health. Some studies have shown that there is a relationship between exercise and a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases , and that this habit improves certain complex cognitive functions, such as attention or short-term memory.
The hippocampus, which also plays an important role in memory management, is one of the brain structures where the effects are most noticeable. In fact, in tests with mice it has been observed that this area increases in size in those that move more. However, until now it had not been possible to demonstrate whether this same effect occurred in humans.
Well, in an essay published in the journal NeuroImage , an international group of scientists coordinated by experts from the Australian National Institute of Complementary Medicine, at the University of Western Sydney, and the Division of Psychology and Mental Health at the University of Manchester, in the United Kingdom, it argues that aerobic exercises, such as running or cycling, limit the deterioration that occurs naturally in the brain as a result of the passage of time.
Some neuroscientists calculate that, after the age of 40, the size of this organ is reduced by approximately 5% per decade, so this phenomenon could help prevent the appearance of some ailments.
Damage containment
“The data we have obtained shows that, instead of increasing the size of the hippocampus, this type of physical activity prevents certain areas of the brain from dwindling with age . It could be said that exercise works as a kind of maintenance program,” he says. Joseph Firth, the lead author of the work, from the aforementioned Australian institution.
To determine this, Firth and his colleagues evaluated the results of fourteen clinical trials in which, over months, the brain activity of 737 people was examined. They were between 24 and 76 years old and were following an aerobic exercise program under controlled conditions that included walking, running on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike. The participants ranged from healthy individuals to others suffering from various mental ailments, such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia or depression. In this way, the scientists observed that although this practice did not affect the total volume of the hippocampus, it did increase the size of its left region.
“When you do this type of sport, a compound called brain-derived neurotrophic factor is produced that can help prevent neuronal deterioration, ” says Firth. In a statement, he affirms that the initiative he has led is the most decisive test that has been presented so far on the benefits for mental health of exercise. Firth admits that more research is needed, but notes that his early findings already point to the importance it could play in preventing dementia.
Reference: Effects of aerobic exercise on hippocampal volume in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Joseph Firth et al. NeuroImage. Volume 166. February 2018. Pages 230–238. doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.007
