Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled groundbreaking findings from a longitudinal study, demonstrating that high-intensity interval exercise can significantly enhance brain function in older adults for up to five years. Led by Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett and Dr. Daniel Blackmore of UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute, the study involved participants engaging in physical exercise and undergoing brain scans.
This pioneering research is the first controlled study to show that high-intensity exercise can not only delay cognitive decline but also boost cognition in healthy older adults. Emeritus Professor Bartlett highlighted the transformative potential of exercise on brain health. “Six months of high-intensity interval training is enough to flick the switch,” he stated. “In earlier pre-clinical work, we discovered exercise can activate stem cells and increase the production of neurons in the hippocampus, improving cognition. In this study, a large cohort of healthy 65 to 85-year-old volunteers joined a six-month exercise program, underwent biomarker and cognition testing, and had high-resolution brain scans. We followed up with them five years after the program and incredibly, they still had improved cognition, even if they hadn’t kept up with the exercises.”
Study Details and Significance
Aging is a major risk factor for dementia, a condition affecting nearly half a million Australians. The findings of this study suggest that high-intensity interval training could be a simple yet powerful intervention to maintain cognitive health and potentially reduce the personal, economic, and social costs associated with dementia.
During the study, researchers assessed the impact of three exercise intensities:
- Low: Motor function, balance, and stretching.
- Medium: Brisk walking on a treadmill.
- High: Four cycles of running on a treadmill at near maximum exertion.
Dr. Blackmore emphasized that only the high-intensity interval exercise led to cognitive improvements that lasted up to five years. “On high-resolution MRI scans of that group, we saw structural and connectivity changes in the hippocampus, the area responsible for learning and memory,” he explained. “We also found blood biomarkers that changed in correlation to improvements in cognition. Biomarkers can be useful in predicting the effectiveness of the exercise a person is doing.”
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Broader Impact and Future Research
With one in three people aged 85 years likely to develop dementia, the implications of this research are far-reaching. “Our findings can inform exercise guidelines for older people and further research could assess different types of exercise that could be incorporated into aged care,” said Dr. Blackmore. “We are now looking at the genetic factors that may regulate a person’s response to exercise to see if we can establish who will and who will not respond to this intervention. The use of biomarkers as a diagnostic tool for exercise also needs further research.”
The study, titled “Long-Term Improvement in Hippocampal-Dependent Learning Ability in Healthy, Aged Individuals Following High Intensity Interval Training,” was published in Aging and Disease by Daniel G. Blackmore et al. (2024). The research has been supported by the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation.
This study marks a significant advancement in understanding the long-term benefits of high-intensity interval training on brain health in older adults, paving the way for potential new guidelines and interventions to promote cognitive longevity.