We know that sport is recommended for people at many levels. In general, practicing it has advantages of all kinds. But until now, such a valuable discovery had not been made that could have a direct application in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Those responsible for this work are researchers from two Brazilian universities: the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of São Paulo.
A promising study
What the neuroscientists Henrique Correia Campos and Deidiane Elisa Ribeiro have done has been to discover that resistance training, with which you exercise your muscles, could have this important application against Alzheimer’s. For now they are just getting started. They have come to verify this in the first tests they have carried out with mice, in which they have used specimens in which they have been able to confirm that this type of exercise is effective.
In this way, when the muscles are trained in combination with an external force or some type of pressure, what is being benefited is that the brain can face the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and delay the disease. They have also verified that it is efficient in relation to slow down some of the symptoms that patients are already suffering.
This has been the test
For the study They used two different mice. One of them had a genetic mutation that generates a situation in his brain similar to that shown by Alzheimer’s patients. It is the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques, which is considered one of the clear effects suffered by people with this disease. The other did not have that mutation in question and served as a control form of the study.
What they were able to verify, after having the sick mouse doing resistance exercise for four weeks, is that his brain was benefited in different ways. The level of disorientation that the mouse previously displayed was reduced, the volume of beta-amyloid dropped considerably, and so did corticosterone production. This hormone, which is equivalent to cortisol that can be found in people’s bodies, is also among the substances that are attributed to disease.
All of these effects may parallel those that occur in people with Alzheimer’s if they undergo a similar test. The mouse in question spent the duration of the study facing challenges with weights and the using stairs for exercise. When push came to shove, it would be a model that would fit the effects you were looking to test.
Once these results have been achieved, the next step in the research would be to apply this discovery in real cases with volunteers who are suffering from the disease or who have already begun to show some symptoms. It shouldn’t be complex In view of the fact that resistance exercise is not something that is going to produce any type of problem in those who practice it.
After all, there are many medical and sports specialists who recommend this type of exercise to people who are already of advanced age. For example, you have ability to stay stronger and healthy as you age, making the effects of the passage of time less impact on your body. It also helps you have a better balance and increases your strength and muscle mass. For this reason, the Alzheimer’s community hopes that a study like this can provide more concrete data in the future and that it becomes a new path to follow.
By Jack Jones