A longitudinal study conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland revealed that high-intensity interval exercise enhances brain function in older adults for up to 5 years.

The Queensland Brain Institute led the study, where volunteers engaged in physical exercise and underwent brain scans.

Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett and Dr Daniel Blackmore have shown that high-intensity exercise boosts cognition in healthy older adults, and the improvement is retained for up to five years. 

Bartlett stated that this is the first controlled study to demonstrate that exercise can enhance cognition in healthy older adults rather than just delaying cognitive decline.

“Six months of high-intensity interval training is enough to flick the switch,” Bartlett said.

“In earlier pre-clinical work, we discovered exercise can activate stem cells and increase the production of neurons in the hippocampus, improving cognition.”

In this study, a large group of healthy volunteers aged 65 to 85 joined a six-month exercise program. They underwent biomarker and cognition testing and had high-resolution brain scans.

“We followed up with them five years after the program, and incredibly, they still showed improved cognition, even if they hadn’t kept up with the exercises.”

“If we can change the trajectory of ageing and keep people cognitively healthier for longer with a simple intervention like exercise, we can potentially save our community from the enormous personal, economic and social costs associated with dementia,” Bartlett said. 

EBartlett and Blackmore collaborated with Honorary Professor Stephan Riek and the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at UQ.

In the study, the researchers evaluated the effects of three different exercise intensities:

– Low intensity, focusing on motor function, balance, and stretching

– Medium intensity, involving brisk walking on a treadmill

– High intensity, consisting of four cycles of running on a treadmill at near maximum exertion

Dr Blackmore said only the high-intensity interval exercise led to cognitive improvement that was retained for up to 5 years.

“On high-resolution MRI scans of that group, we saw structural and connectivity changes in the hippocampus, the area responsible for learning and memory,” Dr Blackmore said.

“We also discovered blood biomarkers that changed in correlation with improvements in cognition.”

“Biomarkers can be useful in predicting the effectiveness of the exercise a person is doing.”

With 1 in 3 people aged 85 years likely to develop dementia, Dr Blackmore said the impact of the research was far-reaching.  

“Our findings can help shape exercise recommendations for elderly individuals, and additional research could evaluate various forms of physical activity that could be integrated into senior care,” he stated.

We are currently investigating genetic factors that may influence an individual’s response to exercise, aiming to determine those who will and will not benefit from this intervention.

“The use of biomarkers as a diagnostic tool for exercise also needs further research.”