Science has shown that one of the benefits of exercise is better brain health, including a lower risk for dementia, but researchers have not known why. A study published online Dec. 7, 2023, by the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease may offer an explanation.
The study examined MRI brain scans of 10,125 people with no health issues, average age 52, more than half of whom were men. Approximately 75% reported engaging in moderate or vigorous exercise like walking, running, or participating in sports, an average of four days per week.
The scans showed that this group had larger brain volumes in several key areas, such as the hippocampus and the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes, compared with people who exercised less than this amount or not at all.
These brain regions are responsible for cognitive skills such as memory and learning. Over all, the exercisers also had larger volumes of gray matter, which helps process information, and white matter, which connects brain regions.
By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
