How The Oldest Of The Old Stay Cognitively Sharp

The wise tale goes if you don't stop moving, you'll never stop moving, speaking to the longevity benefits of exercise. While movement as a general category is a great place to start, research has begun exploring the best forms of exercise for those energetic super-agers. 

A study published in GeroScience found that a combination of cardio and strength training may improve cognitive performance1 in healthy adults between the ages of 85 and 99. 

The researchers used self-reported questionnaires from 184 cognitively healthy participants (53% women) to evaluate exercise patterns. Then, those adults completed cognitive tests evaluating skills in coding, information processing speed, letter- and word-based tests, and cognitive flexibility.

When compared with those who were sedentary or involved in just strength training or only cardio, the combination came out on top in terms of cognitive performance.

This doesn't mean strength training and cardio are the only beneficial combination, as the adults participating in some kind of movement scored higher than those in the sedentary groups, reiterating the importance of general activity. 

But still, why would these be the ideal modes of exercise? Well, according to previous research, strength training can elicit alterations in various neurometabolites linked to the preservation of brain health while also augmenting muscle functional characteristics in the brain2, which can support sensory, motor, and cognitive functions.

Cardio, on the other hand, activates a molecule in the brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which has been shown to improve cognitive performance in mice3. 

A new study found that cardio and strength training combined were beneficial for improving cognitive performance in adults 85 or older.