A team of researchers at LDS Hospital has discovered an important link between Alzheimer's and exercise.
It all started with the mice, genetically programmed to develop Alzheimer's. After these mice exercised by running on wheels, they learned to memorize the mazes better than the mice without exercise. Autopsies performed on the mice with exercise confirmed that they had less Alzheimer's than the mice without exercise.
But are mice like people?
This is an extremely critical question the researchers of the Brain Builders Program are trying to prove by engaging a control group of Alzheimer's patients between the ages of 65 to 89 in a six-month exercise program, which will include chair aerobics or a treadmill and weight training three times per week.
Dr. Kelly Davis Garrett says "We're hoping exercise modifies the trajectory of the decline, and maybe even stabilizes it". However, the Brain Builders Program has made it clear that "There may not be any benefit of an exercise program to treat memory loss."
How may exercise help with Alzheimer's?
This is because exercise increases blood flow to the body and brain. As a result, stress hormones such as cortisol --which can deplete the brain systems and structures supporting learning and memory-- are decreased. In addition, exercise can boost the immune system and provide more effective connections between the brain cells.
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