Lack of mobility leads to a "drying up" of the brain
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Neuroscientists said that in middle age people simply need to lead an active lifestyle, otherwise the brain begins to gradually decrease in size. The results of their work have been published by experts in a popular scientific journal, where it is noted that they managed to find a direct link between the way of life (active or inactive) and the size of the brain (in this case, the size changes occur in decades, ie, in old age). Specialists note that lack of mobility accelerates the aging process of the brain, which with age leads to the drying out of one of the main organs of the human body.
Nicole Sporano and her colleagues conducted a study, during which the data of 20-year observations, which were conducted for 1500 volunteers, were studied. At that time, a project was being carried out to monitor the health of various human organs. All participants had to undergo testing at the beginning and end of the trial period, which helped determine the level of physical training of each of them. After testing, a magnetic resonance imaging of the brain of each of the participants in the experiment was carried out . Conclusions on the level of physical training, scientists based on the amount of oxygen that burned each of the participants for 1 minute on the treadmill, as well as on how many people could stand on the simulator, while the heart rate did not reach the limit values.
Sportano and his team compared the results to the treadmill and MRI data, after which a certain pattern was revealed - at a low level of physical fitness, rapid fatigue, a brain reduction was observed after 20 years (the MRI data were compared at the beginning and end of the trial period). Scientists noted that on average, with a 9-unit limit on oxygen consumption, life of the brain decreased by 1 year.
Similar results were also found in volunteers who had a high pulse and pressure during the training sessions (in comparison with those who regularly went in for sports).
As a result, scientists concluded that a low level of physical activity affects the rate of aging of the brain. Now, Sportano and his colleagues can not say exactly why this is happening, perhaps because of the lack of movement, the brain begins to "dry out," or the causes lie in completely different processes of the body, and the reduction in the brain and sedentary lifestyle are only the consequence these changes. It was also suggested that the reason for the reduction of the brain to a lack of oxygen - because of the lack of mobility, less oxygen enters the cells, which ultimately leads to "drying out".
But at this stage all this is only the assumptions of scientists, and further work in this direction will help to get more accurate answers to all questions.
Past studies conducted by another research group have shown that the capacity for work of the brain is positively influenced by the physical load in childhood. According to scientists in active children, the work of intestinal bacteria improves, and at a more mature age a person is distinguished by good metabolism and high cerebral activity.