Weights keep brain nimble, research suggests

The Dominion Post reports:

Pumping iron could be a powerful weapon in the fight against dementia, new research suggests.

The University of Sydney study shows resistance weight training could be crucial in keeping the ageing brain nimble, as working out with weights was found to boost the mental agility of older people with mild cognitive impairment - a common precursor of dementia that is not treatable with drugs.

Geriatrician Maria Fiatarone Singh, the study's chief investigator, said weight training stimulated hormones that promoted muscle growth. "It's possible these hormones are also having similar benefits for brain function," Singh said.

One hundred participants did six months of weight training and showed a significant lift in overall cognitive function especially in planning, organising, strategising and visual memory.

The gains were still there a year after the training finished. "The next step is to see how long this lasts and who benefits most from such exercise," Singh said.

Scientists will follow the group for up to five years to see if they can put off or even stop the onset of dementia. Predictions suggest 135 million people worldwide will suffer dementia-related brain diseases by 2050.

Just a reminder.