Posted on 07/06/2023 4:51:52 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Regular physical exercise, such as resistance training, can prevent Alzheimer's disease, or at least delay the appearance of symptoms, and serves as a simple and affordable therapy for Alzheimer's patients. This is the conclusion of an article.
During the study, the mice were trained to climb a 110 cm ladder with a slope of 80° and 2 cm between rungs. Loads corresponding to 75%, 90% and 100% of their body weight were attached to their tails. The experiment mimicked certain kinds of resistance training undertaken by humans in fitness centers.
At the end of a four-week period of training, blood samples were taken to measure plasma levels of corticosterone, the hormone in mice equivalent to cortisol in humans; rising levels in response to stress heighten the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Levels of the hormone were normal in the exercise-trained mice, and analysis of their brain tissue showed a decrease in formation of beta-amyloid plaques.
"This confirms that physical activity can reverse neuropathological alterations that cause clinical symptoms of the disease," said Henrique Correia Campos.
"We also observed the animals' behavior to assess their anxiety in the open field test [which measures avoidance of the central area of a box, the most stress-inducing area] and found that resistance exercise reduced hyperlocomotion to similar levels to the controls among mice with the phenotype associated with Alzheimer's," said Deidiane Elisa Ribeiro. Agitation, restlessness and wandering are frequent early symptoms of Alzheimer's.
"Resistance exercise is increasingly proving an effective strategy to avoid the appearance of symptoms of sporadic Alzheimer's [not directly caused by a single inherited genetic mutation], which is multifactorial and may be associated with aging, or to delay their emergence in familial Alzheimer's. The main possible reason for this effectiveness is the anti-inflammatory action of resistance exercise," said Beatriz Monteiro Longo.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Exercise and eat a mostly plant-based diet. Eat healthy and use your muscles.
The more I read the more it appears that a high fat diet combined with a sedentary lifestyle are the highest risk factors for, well, everything.
Do you realize what they’re saying?? Get off the couch and away from the keyboard and do . . (shudder) . . cardio and sweat. I won’t do it. I won’t do it. If Alzheimers wants me that much, it can have me. I’ll crap my pants and grin like an idiot.
I’ve tried desperately to get my 80-year-old sister to work out. I have managed to get us both into an elder-care workout class twice a week. But my sister barely moves.
Also, she has been taking a variety of medications for years which cause or exacerbate mental decline. I can’t get her to stop taking them and her doctor, who is also my doctor, won’t even speak to me about her. She lies to him.
It’s one of those, you-can-take-a-horse-water things. Very frustrating as I watch her decline.
I am saddened to hear that.
Thankfully, you can still lead by example and have your faculties about you.
I have siblings, too, and sometimes there are just things we are too close to, to influence.
I am glad you try to help her and keep on trying, as is practical.
You mean like Bidet?
Yep. The Commander in Chief leads by example.
The release of myokines which comes from intense muscular contractions is a great health benefit. Resistance training is as close to the Fountain of Youth as we have at this time. 20 minutes a week will get it done, provided it’s done right.
Vitamin D as well
20 mins a week??
Yes. The book on it is Body by Science by Dr. Doug McGuff. Hours and hours are not necessary and might even be counterproductive.
“Exercise and eat a mostly plant-based diet.”
Well...exercise. And go carnivore!
https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-021-00783-x
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/benefits/alzheimers
https://charliefoundation.org/am-i-a-candidate/keto-for-alzheimers/
I’m going to disagree with the book. I trained for the Olympic decathlon for a decade and still workout 1 1/2 to 2 hours daily. Granted every person is different but just about all studies I’ve read say it’s vigorous daily exercise which increases life expectancy and keeps you healthiest.
And go carnivore!
Correct. Plant-based diets are not the optimum human diet. Plus, the great reset nazis are all about promoting and ultimately forcing a plant-based/insect diet on us plebs to save the erf.
https://drberry.com/proper-human-diet/
https://www.paulsaladinomd.co/
My wife & I try to do a 6-10 mile walk/hike each week. Distance depends on how demanding the trail is. I like jogging but I see no sign jogging 3 miles gives the benefit hiking 10 does.
I’m a firm believer in weight lifting of some sort. I prefer bodyweight exercises when possible, done to the point of “serious effort”. Trying to exercise to “failure” in my old age causes injuries. Nearing failure, or serious effort that leaves me worn out, shows strength improvement without the injuries. As I get older (60s), injuries take forever to heal. Isometric exercises are good ways to hit “failure” without the strain on my joints or danger of losing control.
But yes, I think best results mean “vigorous exercise”. 30 minutes a day beats the snot out of zero - something I remind myself when I have trouble getting started - but I think it’s better to do more at least 1-2 times a week.
It’s all relative to what your used to, and every person’s body reacts differently to different workouts. One size does not fit all. My workout today, Tuesday and Sat is a 2 mile run to the gym, a half mile swim and a 2 mile run home. I also do abs and 150 push ups each day. I lift heavy three days a week, run every day doing 5 miles on Sunday and 7 on Monday. I’ll be 60yo in 2 months.
That’s me though. I also trained 40 hours a week when I was training for the Olympics so it’s in my DNA.
After maintaining my weight within SOME limits with yo-yo dieting for 45 years, I went Keto 5-6 years ago. It has been fantastic. I’ve got the least belly fat I’ve ever had in my life - and am still SLOWLY losing belly fat - with more muscle and more energy. It has been by FAR the best thing I’ve done for my health in my life!
I watch most of the videos Dr Berry puts out. I don’t get the same results with everything he says, but his advice has helped me frequently. Mike Mutzel has a lot of info that works for me:
https://www.youtube.com/c/Highintensityhealth/videos
As does Dr Shawn Baker:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ShawnBakerMD/videos
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