Review: The Impact of Aerobic and Resistance Training Intensity on Markers of Neuroplasticity In Health and Disease
Highlights
• The effects of exercise training intensity on motor and cognitive function, brain activation, brain structure, and neurochemical markers of neuroplasticity were systematically reviewed
• Healthy young and older adults and patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke were included
• 50 studies, 60 intervention arms, and 2,283 participants were included
• Exercise intensity scaled with neuroplasticity only in healthy young adults but not in healthy older adults or patient groups.
• Exercise-induced improvements in neuroplasticity were associated with changes in motor but not cognitive outcomes.
• Exercise intensity is an important variable to dose and individualize the exercise stimulus for healthy young individuals but not necessarily for healthy older adults and neurological patients.
• This conclusion warrants caution because studies are needed that directly compare the effects of low- vs. high-intensity exercise on neuroplasticity to determine if such changes are mechanistically and incrementally linked to improved cognition and motor function.
Amen. My n=1 experience at the gym tells me that. If it improves cognitive outcomes it would be from the general health benefits, not a direct cause. We would have to measure against people of the same age who are healthy and have approximately the same, BMI, etc., and do not do any exercise other than everyday living
I am on the association, not causation side of this argument. and you know, I am a big fan of exercise.
It’s a good question. Track BDNF levels if you want a good guess with a solid test to see individual response levels? Correlative though - no guarantee - but I guess you could calibrate it to have a better guess
Thanks for sharing the refined info. I’m not too hung up on MHR. I think the higher the bpm, the higher stress/scarring on the heart. I want to run for a long time, so want to stay under the speed limit. I am not a competitive athlete or do hyper cardio diagnostics. 130bpm is plenty for vascular signal. Keeps my cardiologist happy too.
Not maximal lifespan, but another exercise/CVD risk metric. So combine mid life push ups and treadmill VO2 max, can give very good insight your health trajectory, all things being equal. Reminder, “rapamycin potentiates strength” (Dr B). 50 elevated feet pushups/day is part of my resistance routine.
Association Between Push-up Exercise Capacity and Future Cardiovascular Events Among Active Adult Men (2019)
Fat is a highly inflammatory repository…adipokines. Another amazing human evolutionary adaptation for times of starvation as an energy reserve store. Well that’s not an issue anymore with food at arms length, but not everyone got the memo.
Exactly… I read the 4 hours… in an article… imagine eating small seeds… nuts… foraging for plants… fruits to eat. Might take a few hours over a day… hahaha.
Japanese scientists observed “muscle gain” in cultured human skeletal muscle cells infused with serum from hibernating black bears, confirming that unique factors activated in these creatures’ blood during winter trigger their remarkable ability to prevent muscular atrophy despite months of inactivity.
But what these key blood components are remain unknown.
Hibernating bears can lie still for 5-7 months a year inside their dens without eating or drinking. In humans, just three weeks of inactivity is enough to lose muscle mass. Prolong it and it could lead to sedentary lifestyle-related diseases like obesity and diabetes — and even early death. Bears, however, survive their hibernation with limited muscle loss, minimal metabolic dysfunction, and unharmed physical functions.
Super fascinating…another evolutionary adaptation we are trying to hack/harness.
“Total protein content in cultured skeletal muscle cells was significantly increased following a 24 h treatment with hibernating bear serum. Although the protein synthesis rate was not altered, the expression of MuRF1 protein, a muscle-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase was significantly decreased along with a concomitant activation of Akt/FOXO3a signaling. Increased levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were also observed in hibernating bear serum. These observations suggest that protein metabolism in cultured human myotubes may be altered when incubated with hibernating bear serum, with a significant increase in serum IGF-1 and diminished MuRF1 expression, a potential target of Akt/FOXO3a signaling. A protein sparing phenotype in cultured muscle cells by treatment with hibernating bear serum holds potential for the development of methods to prevent human muscle atrophy and related disorders.”
Preaching to the Choir - most on this site already understand the importance of consistent excercise in muscle resistance and cardiovascular exercise. TBH - I really don’t like exercising… but I do it religiously - one day machines - weights workout (1 hour 15 minutes) - one day rest (walking 45 minutes) - repeat. The physical results and overall health are undeniable.
Study Associates Highest Reduction In Early Death With Increased Time, Intensity Of Exercise
CNN (7/26) reports, “A longer life may mean scheduling in even more than the recommended amount of weekly exercise, according to” researchers who “analyzed more than 116,000 adults in a study published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.” Researchers found that “the highest reduction in early death was in people who reported 150 to 300 minutes a week of vigorous physical activity or 300 to 600 minutes of moderate physical activity – or an equivalent mix of the two.” CNN adds that the WHO recommends adults “get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week.”
HealthDay (7/26) reports, “People who met the recommended exercise amounts were about 25% to 31% less likely to die of heart disease or stroke, versus their sedentary peers. Their risk of death from non-cardiovascular causes was also cut, by 15% to 20%.”
I have to say I don’t understand how exercise does not have a significant effect on lifespan. The effects on BG-levels, cardiovascular health, DNA-repair etc, are well-known. Then there are also some studies that suggest excessive exercise in itself may cause DNA-damage.
Just wondering what the opinion is of other members about the ‘ideal amounts of exercise’ when it comes to health-/lifespan.
I tend to do quite a bit of cardio exercise. In addition I use a desk bike for about 5 hours per day - at a slow phase and with not a lot of resistance. Still wondering if I may not be overdoing it.
Peter Attia has an interview (ep #138) with Richard Isaacson ( Alzheimer’s disease prevention specialist) and a co-patient of theirs in which Dr Isaacson mentions exercise and he places the emphasis on HIT for his patients. he does not get specific on the dose of exercise or HIT specifically but he does say “HIT is probably the only thing that can move the needle in terms of certain aspects of cognitive function in people with the APOE 4 Variant”
