(PartiallyPolitics.com) – The Journal Frontiers in Neuroscience published a new article in which they found that resistance training and exercise can help reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have argued that this form of exercise could help complement the treatment plan for each patient.
The article is based on a study by Brazilian authors from the Federal University of São Paulo and the University of São Paulo who experimented on transgenic mice that had a mutation that caused an increase in beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Following a four-week training regime, the scientists determined that there was a decrease in the formation of beta-amyloid plaques.
Amyloid plaques, which are made up of protein clumps made of beta-amyloid and parts of degenerated neurons and cells are usually spotted between nerve cell tissue. Beta-amyloid is the largest protein to exist in the fatty membrane of the nerve cells.
The study also determined that the exercise regime had a positive effect on normalizing the plasma levels of corticosterone, a hormone that is similar to cortisol for humans. High cortisol is considered to be connected to speedier cognitive decline.
One of the two authors, Henrique Correia Campos noted that this study has confirmed that it is possible for physical activity to “reverse neuropathological alterations” which could be responsible for causing Alzheimer’s clinical symptoms. This in part is because of the anti-inflammatory effects that this type of training can have.
Beatriz Monteiro Longo, the other author, pointed out that resistance training is being shown to be an effective way to reduce the chance of sporadic Alzheimer’s symptoms appearing.