The Science of VO2 Max and Dementia Prevention (Chrisin Glorioso, MD, PHD)

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Cardiorespiratory fitness, measured by VO2 max, is one of the strongest modifiable predictors of dementia risk, with high-fit individuals showing 36-88% lower risk of cognitive decline compared to their unfit peers across multiple large cohort studies. This relationship demonstrates a clear dose-response pattern: each 1-MET increase in fitness translates to approximately 16% lower dementia incidence, with benefits continuing even at elite fitness levels and no observed ceiling effect.

The practical implications are substantial. A sedentary individual who improves from the lowest to the highest fitness quintile could theoretically delay dementia onset by 5 to 9.5 years, which is a magnitude of effect exceeding any pharmaceutical intervention currently available.

Read the full story: The Science of VO2 Max and Dementia Prevention

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Fitness and exercise effects on brain age: A randomized clinical trial

Highlights

  • Higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels were associated with “younger brains” as reflected by reduced brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD) at baseline.

  • A 12-month intervention involving moderate-to-vigorous exercise reduced brain-PAD in early to midlife adults.

  • Candidate biological markers (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), body composition, blood pressure, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)) did not mediate the effect of exercise on brain-PAD.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254625000602