Of course, this story never made it into Biblical canon.;-)
Posted on 07/17/2023 4:02:25 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
About 22 percent of North Americans ages 85-89 and 33 percent of those over 90 suffer some degree of dementia (JAMA Neurol, 2022;79(12):1242-1249). The risk for dementia can be reduced significantly by exercising and lowering high blood sugar levels, maintaining a healthful weight, and avoiding smoking (Lancet, Feb 1, 2022;7(2):e93-e94). Two recent studies show that exercise may be even more important in reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk:
• A study of 21,982 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and 41,944 controls without Alzheimer’s disease were classified by their genetic ability to grow larger muscles. Those with larger muscles had a significantly greater cognitive performance (memory) and were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (Brit Med J, June 2023;2:e000354). Many studies show that obesity is associated with a markedly increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, by increasing risk for inflammation, insulin resistance, and higher levels in fat tissue of the protein harmful to brain health, amyloid beta. This study shows that having large muscles may be even more important in helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
• Starting an exercise program helped a group of previously-sedentary seniors to improve brain memory and reasoning (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, May 12, 2023;7(1): 399-413). The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to show improvement in the 33 volunteers, 70-80 years old, half of whom suffered from “mild cognitive impairment”, a loss of memory and reasoning that often precedes Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise Helps You Live Longer The Physical Activity Guidelines for North Americans recommend a minimum of 150-300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, such as walking, weightlifting and lower-intensity exercise; 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, such running, bicycling or swimming; or an equivalent combination of both (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2nd edition, 2018). The Nurses’ Health Study and The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (116,221 men and women followed for 30 years) found that men and women who exercise more than these recommended amounts live longer (Circulation, July 25, 2022;146(7):523-534). Those who exercised for the recommended 150–300 minutes per week or more gained a 19-25 percent lower risk of death from all causes. Those who reported two times the recommended minimum exercise time showed an additional 2-4 percent reduction in death rate, and those who exercised four times the minimum recommended time added 3-13 percent reduction.
How Exercise Might Help to Prevent Dementia Everyone loses brain cells with aging, and scientists used to think that you could not make new brain cells. A study from Columbia University showed that you can make new brain cells and that loss of brain function may be caused by lack of adequate blood flow and nourishment of brain cells (Cell Stem Cell, April 5, 2018;22(4):589–599). All age groups have the same number of neural progenitor cells and immature neurons that make new nerve cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that governs memory. The brains of older people have progressive loss of new blood vessels with aging and with that, the loss of ability of brain cells to connect with each other. Anything that increases blood flow to the brain may stimulate growth of new blood vessels and brain cells, so the prevention and treatment of dementia should include exercise — the most effective way to increase growth of new blood vessels. Previous studies show that exercise increases blood flow to the brain (Sports Med, 2007;37(9):765-82), and reduces risk for diabetes and obesity which can damage the brain (Metabolism, May 2013;62(5):609-621).
Keep Moving Exercise helps to prolong your life and preserve your brain, but you do not have to have a specific exercise program. You just need to keep on moving. It is harmful just to sit or lie down all day long. It is healthful to mow your lawn, wash your dishes, make your bed, vacuum your house, go for a walk, and participate with your friends in activities in which you are moving your arms and legs — dancing, cycling, swimming, running, nature walks and so forth. To gain maximum health benefits from exercising and moving your skeletal muscles, you should include some sort of resistance exercise that makes muscles larger. People who have larger muscles are far less likely to suffer cognitive decline with aging than those with smaller muscles (J American Geriatrics Society, June 2023;71(5):e19-e22). If you are not already doing some type of strength-training exercise, first check with your doctor to make sure you do not have any condition that may be harmed by exercise. See Your Muscles Make Your Heart Stronger Resistance Exercise You Can Do at Home
My Recommendations Dementia risk increases with age and all risk factors for dementia are the same as risk factors for heart attacks, so everyone should follow the anti-inflammatory lifestyle rules that help to prevent heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and many other diseases:
• Try to exercise every day
• Follow an anti-inflammatory, high-plant diet
• Avoid being overweight
• Avoid or severely limit alcohol
• Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke
• Keep your vitamin D levels above 30 ng/mL
And strokes too. Lots of cardio can keep your blood vessels, capillaries, etc., healthy and elastic.
I wouldn’t do too much, and I would vary exercise type and effort.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179786/
When I lived in the DC area, I listened to Dr. Mirkin’s radio show. Good info.
That seems reasonable.
That's still a lot of exercise.
I guess “too much” is highly subjective.
I’m a gym rat, so I know tons of “too much” kind of people.
I can usually tell when I am overdoing it. Just start feeling a little tired...particularly in the legs.
Your point is well taken about not overdoing it. I would recommend people look for a sweet spot based on how they feel (mood and energy-wise).
Another way I can tell when I am overdoing it is when I noticed a slight dread when I consider going for a bike ride. If I feel the slightest dread about riding my road bike (which is higher HR, more intense), I go for a mountain bike ride and try to keep my HR in the low to medium range. (I ride at a local state park. There is a very hilly, 5-mile paved loop for road biking and, for mountain biking, there are many, many miles of dirt trails through all kinds of terrain.)
You’re still far better off overtraining than being most of the people I see in the normal world. Biking hills is an excellent exercise. I know what you mean about “heavy legs”.
I lift and am training for sprinting in Masters T&F. I can tell when I’m smoking my CNS. Sleep is a bit off, I get grumpy/negative, and my stride coordination is off.
Keep on biking, but stay away from those busy and curvy roads. Lots of jackasses driving around…
As to biking on public streets and hwys, I just don't do it. I would rather drive the 7 miles to the local state park than take my chances with cars. There are no cars (for the most part) at the park.
Wise decision.
Doesn’t work for Biden.
I think Joe is too fond of coke.
Specifically, most contemporary people’s neck muscles atrophy for lack of head movement — and muscular development is indicative of enhanced circulation that makes that development and functioning possible.
The weakness of the circulatory system is generally not the heart pumping blood out to the tissues (extremities) but in the skeletal muscles pumping the blood (fluids) back towards the heart — with alternating muscular contractions and relaxations just as the heart is effective as a pump. That is why exercise stimulates positive effects — but more particularly, they have to specifically exercise moving the head — or turning the head all the way to the right and all the way to the left — which people don’t tend to do even on an exercise bike or treadmill.
So while their hearts may go on pumping vigorously, many people’s brains will die for the lack of that proper movement (circulation) at the head — which is very indicative of the circulation to those areas. Circulation is not equal to all parts of the body but is dependent to the greater extent on the muscle contractions at the extremities of the head, hands and feet notable throughout history as the weakness of the human body.
So the paradigm of merely pumping the blood more vigorously from the heart won’t help as much as pumping the blood and fluids specifically from the extremities of the head, hands and feet — which are overlooked entirely by the exercise professionals as well as doctors and researchers — all who display this notable atrophy and deterioration at those sites — even as much as they exercise conventionally.
In order for exercise to specificaly benefit those critically important organs of the human body (cognition, grip strength, balance), the movement (contraction) has to begin at the insertions at the extremities — to improve that circulation and reduce the inflammation resulting from that accumulation and retention at those extremities, which begins with the proper understanding of the circulatory process and functioning to be most effective.
RoosterRedux :" And strokes too.
Lots of cardio can keep your blood vessels, capillaries, etc., healthy and elastic."
I wonder if high blood pressure has an effect, and how much it affects brain cell function and elasticity ?
And the possibility for re-birth of new brain cells ?
If you have any more information (or links) on that aspect of circulation, please post it when you get a chance.
Ah, so quadruple that and you'll never die!
As an aside, when I first started getting high BP back in my early 60's my doctor told me that medicine was the only solution. That's when I started studying and realized that a low carb diet could possibly solve the problem. When I told my doctor of this, his response was laughter.
I went on the diet (had been on this kind of diet most of my adult life previously), my BP went down...and I got a new doctor.
As to brain cell regeneration, there's a lot of good material in the public domain. The answer is yes (which is why a lot of stroke victims are able to recover nicely). Here's an interesting article on that...When damaged, the adult brain repairs itself by going back to the beginning
Here's what BingAI says (check sources on AI answers to assess/assure accuracy of responses):
Yes, brain cells can regenerate naturally. The process of creating new neurons or glial cells in the brain is called neurogenesis and can occur in some areas of the brain such as the hippocampus which is involved in learning and memory. Neurogenesis can be influenced by factors such as aerobic exercise, stress relief, and lifestyle habits. It can also be enhanced by certain substances such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor, and apigenin. Regenerating brain cells can have implications for brain health and for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases (source: neurotray.com)
Of course, this story never made it into Biblical canon.;-)
My FIL was a picture of health, excellent blood work numbers, walked for miles daily, ate right (although we think too many carbs)…
Anyway, he was diagnosed with vascular dementia 10 years ago and passed last year. He did not have any secondary illness right up until death.
Just before his dx, he was prescribed Lipitor for “borderline high cholesterol”. The sad thing is he had gained a little weight around that time which he lost within a few years. When we took over his healthcare five years ago, we and his doctor agreed to take him off the cholesterol med and switched his prostate med, and his numbers stayed good and his confusion improved remarkably.
I do believe his good health caused him to progress slower through the stages of dementia than would have been otherwise, but was not the magic bullet. It did make caregiving the final years somewhat easier because we only had to deal with the dementia related issues. Even after being immobile, He was still scooting his chair around the room up until the final month.
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