The effects of weight training exercise on the brain is less frequently studied. Hence, we know little about the effect and mechanism of weight training on brain function and performance.
A recent study provides some needed insight on this topic.
A study by C Suo and colleagues from Australia examined the effects of resistance training and cognitive skills training on brain structure and function.
The key elements of design in their study included the following features:
- Subjects: 100 elderly subjects of average age 70 years with mild cognitive impairment
- Intervention: 6 months of progressive resistance training (PRT), computerized cognitive training (CCT), both interventions or neither intervention (sham control group)
- Cognitive assessments: MMSE, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale and a battery of neuropsychological tests
- Imaging: Pre- and post- 3T MRI voxel-based quantitative assessments of brain regions and resting state fMRI
- Statistical Analysis: SPSS linear mixed model studying three main effects, time, PRT and CCT
The findings in this study were quite remarkable:
- PRT: Increased performance on global cognition
- PRT: Increased brain gray matter volume in the posterior cingulate cortex (see image)
- PRT: Increase in cigulate gray matter volume correlated with improvement in global cognition
- PRT: Reversed progression of brain white matter intensities, a biomarker of cerebrovasular disease
- CCT: Slowed progression of decline in overall memory performance
- CCT: Enhanced connectivity between brain hippocampus and superior frontal cortex
This is one of the first studies finding a significant improvement in cognitive function in elderly subjects after progressive resistance training.
Additionally, the study supports PRT's potential benefit in reversing brain white matter intensities (WMI). I have previously written a blog post on the association of WMI with increased rates of dementia and premature death. You can find that post HERE.
The take home message here is that both PRT and CCT appear to have beneficial effects on slowing the effects of aging on the brain. They each appear to have unique mechanisms and brain targets. A smart preventative program for brain health in the elderly would combine the two interventions.
Readers with more interest in this study can access the free full-text manuscript by clicking on the link in the citation below.
Image showing cingulate cortex is an iPad screen shot from the app 3D Brain
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Suo C, Singh MF, Gates N, Wen W, Sachdev P, Brodaty H, Saigal N, Wilson GC, Meiklejohn J, Singh N, Baune BT, Baker M, Foroughi N, Wang Y, Mavros Y, Lampit A, Leung I, & Valenzuela MJ (2016). Therapeutically relevant structural and functional mechanisms triggered by physical and cognitive exercise. Molecular psychiatry, 21 (11) PMID: 27090304
