Exercise as a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment for Dementia Brain Aging

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3258000/

by todd8 • 9 years ago

140 72 9 years ago

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

notadoc2• 9 years ago

Exercise is good for nearly everything. We evolved to be active, not to be sedentary. The more you can move, the better.

arwhatever• 9 years ago

Hopefully we evolve to be sedentary here pretty quickly.

pm90• 9 years ago

What does that even mean? Its not like evolution did some magics that we become better with exercise. Our bodies are trained by actual physical exertions, which are not possible if one is sedentary.

notadoc2• 9 years ago

Give it another million years or so, assuming humans last that long.

woodandsteel• 9 years ago

I don't think that would work very well. The problem is the bad health effects of inactivity usually don't really kick in and effect morbidity until after the reproductive years.

js22• 9 years ago

The more you can move, the better.

I've done a 24 hr foot race, a 12 hr race and a 100 mi race in the past year. There are diminishing returns. :-)

(Somewhere around 100K I think you reach maximal discomfort, though maybe I just haven't pushed through to that next level of suffering yet.)

Danihan2• 9 years ago

Wait until they discover fasting..

bob1029• 9 years ago

I didn't really believe the hype until I tried it myself this year. My primary focus had been just lifting heavy and doing regular cardio, but with diet as a secondary factor (lift big, eat big mindset).

Fasting really opened my eyes to the complexity of human metabolism. Even a humble OMAD/IF (one meal a day/intermittent fasting) approach is apparently worthwhile, as it produced benefits I have never experienced during or after exercising.

The effects to me are mind-blowing, even without really modifying any other variables (I probably consume similar/more calories when doing OMAD/IF). My favorite change by far is the improvement to cognition. I feel like regular fasting is akin to what the drug from the movie "Limitless" would do if it were a real thing. The focus levels alone... Basically the hardest coffee buzz you can imagine, but with a tremendous sense of calm. BDNF is a hell of a thing.

ashark• 9 years ago

It just makes me sleepy and unable to think straight at ~14-16hrs without food. Maybe it gets better after that but I don't really have a lot of days I can afford to be useless for the whole afternoon—I've gone 30+ hrs and it doesn't improve. I've been informed this is what happens when you aren't on a keto diet and try fasting, but I'd have a way easier/happier time going vegetarian than keto (I like almost none of the keto staples—meat, beans/lentils, eggs—except in combination with not keto things) so that's not happening.

I actually find not-eating fairly easy, so it'd be sweet if fasting didn't make me want to nap all the time and slow my brain down to 1/2 speed.

rsync• 9 years ago

"Wait until they discover fasting.."

Rediscover. Fasting is preserved as a commandment in all the major world religions.

throwawayxx09• 9 years ago

So is murdering adulterers. We should probably do science instead of relying on traditions from illiterate desert dwellers from thousands of years ago.

dragonwriter• 9 years ago

Fasting is preserved as a commandment in all the major world religions.

Fasting is not a “commandment” in Christianity, nor is it even an obligatory discipline in many major subgroups of Protestant Christianity.

zitterbewegung• 9 years ago

My Uncle has Alzheimer's and this makes me feel even better about my exercise goals now. I lost around 40 pounds and I'm shooing for another 40-50 ish.

aantix2• 9 years ago

Exercise. Fasting. Daily Aspirin. Daily Metformin.

Together should put you in a pretty good position.

voidlogic2• 9 years ago

Also, if you really hate fasting, indications are eating a moderate protein, high fat (isocaloric) ketogenic diet is almost as good without the discomfort. And if you do that you probably don't need the Metformin :)

dvt2• 9 years ago

Been doing IF this entire year (12pm-8pm feeding window). You definitely get used to being hungry in the mornings for a few hours.

This is anecdotal, but I've never felt better! I try to convert everyone :)

throwawaymanbot• 9 years ago

Daily Aspirin is very harsh on the stomach.

bluGill2• 9 years ago

right, but if you are at a high risk for heart attack it is worth the risk.

Ask your doctor how the risk/reward plays out for you. Never take medical any other than ask your doctor from a message board.

e403• 9 years ago

Not the low dose version. I've been taking them for 5+ years and never once had a problem with the stomach (that wasn't obviously something else).

aantix2• 9 years ago

As for the internal bleeding risks.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006....

"These results translate into an absolute rate increase with aspirin above placebo (the incidence of cases of major GI bleeding attributable to low-dose aspirin) of 0.12% per year (95% CI: 0.070.19% per year).[20] Based on this value, 833 patients (95% CI: 5261429 patients) would need to be treated with low-dose aspirin instead of placebo to cause one major GI bleeding episode during a 1-year period (i.e. the NNH is 833)"

harigov2• 9 years ago

Why Aspirin and Metformin?

dekko• 9 years ago

Small (usually half of normal one) portions of aspirin and metformin are found to extend a lifespan. Although, I'd recommend to take aspirin everyday every second or third month, but that's my preference.

paulborza• 9 years ago

I've started exercising seriously last September. I've been waking up at 5am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday since then and never felt better. I'm 31. I was always super skinny, but that's no longer the case now.

I've gained 25lbs since then by following the 5x5 workout routine. I highly recommend it. There are good apps for the 5x5 workout routine in the app stores too. https://stronglifts.com/5x5/

Go to the gym three times a week for 1 hour and follow the 5x5 routine. You're always sore, but after a while you get used to it. Now I enjoy it a lot. Find a buddy to go to the gym with; that helps a lot.

dvt2• 9 years ago

I do a variation of 5x5! It's awesome, and their iPhone app is great for tracking progress.

NicoJuicy• 9 years ago

Highly recommend stronglifts as well + the book: burn the fat, feed the muscle ( content is really good, the website of Tom Venuto is awfull though)

rubicon334• 9 years ago

I've found lifting heavy, and often, to be difficult to stick to while holding down a career. Specifically because of this:

You're always sore, but after a while you get used to it.

Being incredibly sore makes it VERY hard for me to get going in the morning (something I already struggle with). It sounds like you might naturally be a morning person if you're exercising at 5am, so maybe this isn't an issue for you. I find I'm running a lot more these days. I've lost weight as a result, but, at least I'm functional at work.

fasteo• 9 years ago

I was in the same wagon, but note that being sore is not the problem. Heavy lifting is very taxing to the central nervous system and this is what causes the systemic fatigue that won't let you be productive at work. A couple of recommendations that worked for me (46 years old)

1. Lower the intensity. There are a tons of ways to do this, but the simplest would be doing heavy lifting only in the first core lift of the day (squat, deadlift, bench or press). Then, increase the volume (lower the weights, increase the reps) for the rest of the exercises.

2. Periodize your workout plan. This is a science in itself, but the general idea is to adjust the intensity and volume over a period of 4-8 weeks, including a deload week every now and then.

3. Ditch the deadlift. At least for me, deadlift is too taxing.

Hope this helps.

runT1ME• 9 years ago

Anecdotal to me of course, but I felt much better after I started getting adequate protein. I am still sore if I go really hard in the gym, but most days I feel very good after lifting if I take enough whey protein. Previously to my extra protein consumption I felt like I was recovering from the flu for a couple days after I had worked out.

antisthenes• 9 years ago

I've been doing 5x5 consistently for about 1.5 years (until I achieved my target goals, then I scaled back), without being a morning person. The soreness essentially disappears after the first month and the biggest challenge was actually eating enough calories not to negate the progress.

Instead of exercising in the morning I did it after work, ~7pm. A cup of coffee and an energy bar made you good to go.

Slight difficulties falling asleep sometimes, but other than that, a massive increase in overall health and energy levels, despite having a respiratory condition.

Denzel2• 9 years ago

Maybe YMMV -- I'm not going to pretend I'm a professional nutritionist even though I am a certified personal trainer: but if you're consistently sore past the first 2-3 weeks of working out, then you may not be eating enough.

Now, first, we have to distinguish between static soreness and DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness). Static soreness means you feel pain while sitting still. DOMS means you feel pain when you move. Which one is it?

DOMS means you're working out in your acceptable range. Static soreness means you're exceeding your capabilities and you need to scale things back a little bit until you hit DOMS.

Listen, with that said, if you're experiencing consistent DOMS throughout the day so much so that it's interfering with your work, then you may not be eating enough! Eat more to recover quicker. You'll feel less sore and you'll be functional sooner.

For context, I have a heavy 6-day split routine (ping ponging between 2 weeks of 10-8-8 reps for strength and 2 weeks of 10-8-40-20 for endurance) that means I'm in the gym for 2 hours almost everyday of the week. On top of this I run 15-25 miles per week -- as if I'm training for a 5K -- to work on my cardio. So I do a lot, and I eat a lot too: 3,300 - 3,600 calories a day.

Through all of this, I experience minimal soreness maybe for 1-2 hours after a workout. Otherwise, I'm able to carry on my day normally.

Stats

-----

6'1"; 183lb

Bench (1RM): 225lb

Squat (1RM): 294lb

Deadlift (1RM): 300lb

Obvious room for improvement. I'm just getting back into my routine after 6 months off.

superdaniel• 9 years ago

Anaerobic exercise is probably good for you too, but for what it's worth, the article was talking about specifically aerobic exercise.

mrleinad2• 9 years ago

I began doing that around February this year, and really nailed it as part of my routine since two months ago.

I wake up at 6 AM. Have breakfast, meditate for about 10 min, and go swimming on Tue/Thu, or to lift some weights on Mon/Wed/Fri.

As you say, I haven't felt better. It took a lot of trial and error to get this routine working for me, but it's paying off. My immune system is working like a charm and haven't been under the weather even with people around me getting the flu.

Next step is to reduce my waist.. lot of visceral fat. Just yesterday I bought one of those scales to measure it, which I'll receive next week.

I think tracking progress helps a lot. I got one of those apps that build habits and put this along with others. It really helped me be conscious about the goal of being healthy long term.

magic_beans5• 9 years ago

Those scales to measure visceral fat are scams. You need calipers and measuring tape to get an accurate measurement of your body fat.

burntrelish1273• 9 years ago

Oh man, I'm in the same boat right now, working on changing that. "Pencil neck" teenager, now a flabby-tabby. Starting at 20% over ideal thanks to fork-to-mouth habits and a medication which increases hunger.

Got a fitbit and a bicycle, riding a 1-2 hours a day.

Using the free Bikemap app on iOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bikemap-map-your-bike-route-...

Just have to stay heart-rate/exertion-limited due to Marfan syndrome.

With age, it's good to increase care for rotator cuff, trapezius and shoulder muscles/ligaments unless one enjoys expensive/painful surgery to reattach separations.

krupan• 9 years ago

I just hope I don't hurt myself exercising while I'm relatively young in such a way that makes it hard to exercise when I'm old.

magic_beans5• 9 years ago

Don't let fear of injury stop you. If you get injured exercising, it's because your form is incorrect or you took on a lift your body wasn't ready for.

blisterpeanuts2• 9 years ago

Exercising is a "no brainer" preventative treatment. Increased cardiovascular activity provides more and faster oxygen and nutrient flow to the brain which helps the brain to build more neurons.

Another important approach is to build up your cognitive reserve[1]. Evidence exists that people who read more, socially interact more, play music, dance, and stay physically active can delay the onset of dementia by years.

Eating right (minimize processed foods and sugars, focus on raw foods, vegetables, fruit, minimal chemicals) is also associated with better memory.

Finally, getting a full 8 hours of sleep is associated with good brain health. The brain appears to require about 7-8 hours to fully process the day's knowledge and build it into long term memory structures. If you cheat yourself and get 4-6 hours, most likely your brain simply won't have a chance to build those neural structures to capture long term memories.

Probably the type of people who read Hacker News are doing a lot of this stuff already; just working in a technical field that forces you to think all day is very helpful. Exercise and diet are probably the areas that techies notoriously neglect, but that's perhaps more a previous generation than the more health-conscious folks of today's workplace.

[1]https://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Medical-School-Achieving-Opti...

victorhooi• 9 years ago

I just noticed you mentioned building more neurons - I thought I'd rea somewhere that the number of neurons was fixed at some point in teenagehood, and didn't increase beyond that?

Or am I misunderstanding that point?

(It would be pretty good if we could grow/regrow them).

blisterpeanuts2• 9 years ago

It's generally accepted today that neurogenesis does occur in the adult brain.

That said, probably the main activity in the adult brain is developing interconnections between existing neurons, which requires generation of new dendrites and axons and whatever other structures.

js22• 9 years ago

(2011)

ropable• 9 years ago

I lift heavy so that 90-year-old-me doesn't fall down. Turns out I run so that 90-year-old-me doesn't lose his marbles also.

Fricken• 9 years ago

I started running last fall, but it's boring as hell so in the spring I picked up skateboarding (at 40). It's the steepest and most rewarding learning curve I've been on for a long time. The downside is that all I can think about at work is what I'm going to do when my rickety old body has repaired itself well enough to skateboard again. I'm pretty sure that's a good indicator I'm stimulating parts of my brain that haven't been challenged in a good long time.

pconnelly15• 9 years ago

I love being intensely active, but it’s not an everyday thing. I run, I surf, I hike, I bike as much as my lifestyle allows. I like intense exercise because it fits my personality, but that’s not to say it’s more healthy than other forms of exercise. I look like an awkward giraffe in yoga class, you might look like an elegant swan. Do what works best for you. I am active every day. I walk around, I stand. I talk. I MOVE! If you can’t get 10,000 steps or 30 min of active time each day without an intense workout, I would suggest re-thinking your health beliefs.

tsomctl• 9 years ago

As a counter-anecdote, my grandpa was a logger his whole life, and was physically active and still running a chainsaw well after he started getting Alzheimers.

dghughes2• 9 years ago

and still running a chainsaw well after he started getting Alzheimers.

No offense but that sounds a bit terrifying.

TheGrassyKnoll• 9 years ago

Ultimate frisbee (but you've gotta like to compete)

dghughes2• 9 years ago

I never was into sports but after high school I went to the gym and did for about 20 years. I got out of the habit when I started shift work and never got back except some cycling in the summer.

I miss the feeling after I pushed myself the warm feeling and the total relaxation no aches no stress. I hated the feeling of missing the gym I could feel the tendons in the back of my knees and crooks of my arms (inner elbow?) ache.

The problem was I never made any progress I must be what is called a non-responder. If I tried to do more I got tired and took more time off. Often I found I did better after taking a three or four days off.

But any exercise is like medicine you're only there you only exercise because you have to. I want to be active but not a march forced by the fear of death I want to be there because it's fun.

8sigma• 9 years ago

This maybe a little off-topic and an inappropriate forum to ask,but I am desperate for an answer.

I need advice to increase my Weight.

My Stats:

Height:5'6" Age:25 Weight:50Kg/110.231 Pounds

I wish to gain another 20Kgs.I am too skinny as of now.Really want to get fit.I have tried eating more than my usual food intake,but i suffer from indigestion whenever I do that.Looking for some helpful advice.

magic_beans5• 9 years ago

Your only option is to eat more and build muscle. Try one of the many weightlifting plans out there. Eat 6 tablespoons of high-quality peanut butter a day.

Exercise as a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment for Dementia Brain Aging

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