Posted on 05/24/2024 11:24:16 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
New research provides insights into how exercise may help to prevent or slow cognitive decline during aging.
For the study, investigators assessed the expression of genes in individual cells in the brains of mice. The team found that exercise has a significant impact on gene expression in microglia, the immune cells of the central nervous system that support brain function. Specifically, the group found that exercise reverts the gene expression patterns of aged microglia to patterns seen in young microglia.
Treatments that depleted microglia revealed that these cells are required for the stimulatory effects of exercise on the formation of new neurons in the brain's hippocampus, a region involved in memory, learning, and emotion.
The scientists also found that allowing mice access to a running wheel prevented and/or reduced the presence of T cells in the hippocampus during aging. These immune cells are not typically found in the brain during youth, but they increase with age.
"We were both surprised and excited about the extent to which physical activity rejuvenates and transforms the composition of immune cells within the brain, in particular the way in which it was able to reverse the negative impacts of aging," said co-corresponding author Jana Vukovic, Ph.D.
"It highlights the importance of normalizing and facilitating access to tailored exercise programs. Our findings should help different industries to design interventions for elderly individuals who are looking to maintain or improve both their physical and mental capabilities."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
So regular exercise and appropriate level of fitness for age are good for you.
You mean just like my “ignorant” farmer grandmother knew.
I suppose this kind of money needs to be spend for the benefit of leftits who need to be told the sky is blue by an “expert” before they’ll believe it.
It’s all in the genes... If you have good ones, you’ll likely live a good long time barring any accidents and Darwin like behavior. If you don’t... You’ll die young.
The more important thing is that your final years are actually productive rather than wasting away in a wheelchair.
Great! Also exercise helps eyesight, as eyes need a lot of oxygen to do well.
I don’t doubt this to be true.
I’ve always been a huge weightlifter and hiker.
Recently added ballroom dance lessons about a year ago due to having to dance at wedding. (I grew up in a religion that forbid dancing between male/female, so I’d had literally never danced before.) I stuck with it 2X week just because it is so helpful to overall fitness.
Plus, it’s extremely difficult for me. I can practically feel my unused brain patterns developing.
“It’s all in the genes... If you have good ones, you’ll likely live a good long time barring any accidents and Darwin like behavior. If you don’t... You’ll die young.”
And if you are average/typical, you better exercise. Your body was built for it.
Just more discrimination against exercise averse people. I was born lazy. I could’ve crawled out of the womb. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel but said “nah, somebody will come and get me” and they did. I’ve been loafing ever since. Nobody should ever get mad at me, I never did anything. I won first place at the lazy competition and got atrophy. I sent somebody else to go pick it up for me.
There is a character in an old movie (maybe late 1930s) who says, “Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes.”
My dad, always pretty active, starting running as a type of hobby to stay in shape beginning sometime in his mid to late 40’s. He was a brilliant guy! Was in electronics in the military, retired with 20 yrs then worked 23 or 4 yrs for NASA at Wallops Island, VA. I never saw anything he couldn’t fix - mechanical or electrical - it didn’t matter. He lived to be 86 but died of dementia. On his runs at the end, he would forget where he parked his truck. He would get out of the house sometimes without my mom knowing, running along the highway and the police would have to bring him home. He didn’t know where he was. After he tried to hit my mom (she beaned him in the head with something) that was the last straw - so to speak. She found a good nursing home that had special facilities for someone like him - and visited almost daily until he passed. Exercise is important but sometimes it’s not enough. I think diet and genes can sometimes be big factors as well. He had a big sweet tooth and consumed lots of carbs for the long runs. He didn’t know the things we know today that might have helped. I’m pretty sure exercise wasn’t one of them.
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