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and, if so, what lasting effect it could have. (Scientists have already found a strong link between increased aerobic exercise and improved mood in adults.) Here, Dr. Tanzi and his team put healthy young and old mice through exercise routines on a running wheel. Aerobic exercise not only induced neurogenesis in the mice, but also increased what›s known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a protein found in the brain that plays a key role in nerve health. «It helps neu-
rons grow and survive,» says Dr. Tanzi. «It›s like fertilizer to help plant seeds grow.» Follow-up research has supported the exerciseneurogenesis link. One study found that adult male rats that did aerobic exercise for eight weeks had two to three times as many hippocampal neurons than rats that did no exercise. Besides producing BDNF, aerobic exercise might help increase the liver›s production of an enzyme called Gpld1, which also may assist with neurogenesis.
Besides exercise, research has shown other lifestyle factors are linked with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, a neuroscientist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, designed a guide called SHIELD to address these key areas.
Even though these findings were from animal studies, Dr. Tanzi says people could gain the same brain benefits through aerobic exercise. «Right now, there is no substitute for regular exercise to help with neurogenesis,» says Dr. Tanzi. Yet it›s not clear what kind of exercise works best, nor how long and how much is enough. Until those questions are addressed, Dr. Tanzi suggests aiming for the recommended 120 to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. «Anything that gets the heart rate up, like using a treadmill, cycling, or power walking, is ideal,» he says. «If it works the body, it›s great for the brain.»
BRAIN EXERCISES
This article is originally published by Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
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A model of human brain. (Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash (
