Weight training may protect the brain from cognitive decline
In the journals
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Results from a recent study suggest regular weight training may keep your brain strong as you age. Scientists recruited 44 adults (ages 55 or older) who were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and randomly divided them into two groups. One group did twice-a-week weight training workouts with progressive load, meaning they added weight and did more of each exercise as their muscles strengthened. The people in the other group didn’t do any weight training.
After six months, some in the weight training group actually performed slightly better on memory testing compared to initial evaluation. Using MRI, the researchers also observed that compared with the people who didn’t do weight training, the exercisers showed changes suggestive of healthier brain neurons and less brain shrinkage in regions typically affected by Alzheimer’s disease. This implies that weight training may help delay the progression of dementia, according to the researchers.
It’s not entirely clear how weight training creates beneficial changes in the brain. The researchers theorized that it may produce various neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory factors that act together to improve brain health. The study was published online Jan. 2, 2025, by GeroScience.
Image: © Makhbubakhon Ismatova/Getty Images
About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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