Aerobic Fitness Reduces Brain Tissue Loss in Aging Humans

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"Background: The human brain gradually loses tissue from the third decade of life onward, with 'attendant] declines in cognitive 'rationality, or awareness] performance. Given the projected rapid growth in aged populations, and the staggering costs associated with geriatric care, identifying mechanisms that may reduce or reverse 'mental] deterioration is rapidly emerging as an important public health goal...We examined the relationship between aerobic fitness and...brain tissue density in an older adult population...

"Results: Consistent with previous studies of aging and brain volume, we found robust declines in tissue densities as a function of age 'in various brain sectors]. More importantly, we found that losses in these areas were substantially reduced  as a function of cardiovascular fitness..." Emphasis added.

"Conclusions: These findings extend the scope of beneficial effects of aerobic exercise beyond cardiovascular health, and they suggest a strong solid biological basis for the benefits of exercise on the brain health of older adults."

Aerobic Fitness Reduces Brain Tissue Loss in Aging Humans Bibliography

The Journals of Gerontology, Series A, vol. 58, 2003. By: Colcombe, Erickson, Raz, Kramer, et al., Beckman Inst., U. of Illinois, Urbana, and Inst. of Gerontology, Wayne State U., Detroit, Michigan.