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Study Links Higher Levels Of Lean Muscle Mass With Lower Alzheimer's Risk

Author:

Hannah Frye

September 27, 2024

Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including beauty, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously worked for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.

Image by BONNINSTUDIO / Stocksy

September 27, 2024

It's easy to get caught up in the aesthetic motivations to exercise, be it to lose weight or tone your muscles for visual effect. But the benefits of muscle mass span far beyond what meets the eye. In fact, research shows that building lean muscle could even help extend your cognitive longevity. Here's what to know.

Higher lean muscle mass linked with lower risk of Alzheimer's

A study published in BMJ Medicine found that individuals with lifelong higher lean muscle mass had a 12% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and higher cognitive performance on average.

For this study, researchers evaluated genetic data from 450,253 participants via the UK Biobank (a large-scale database with genetic and health information) to measure lean muscle mass and fat mass. For reference, lean mass is the quantity left when you subtract fat mass from overall body mass—so it includes bone and fluid weight as well.

A total of 21,982 people with Alzheimer's and 41,944 without were included in the independent sample. In a replication sample to confirm findings, 7,329 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 252,879 people without it participated.

After reviewing the data, researchers concluded lean mass was positively associated with better cognitive performance and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

These findings suggest that lean muscle mass might be a protective factor against cognitive decline. However, further research is needed to investigate the underlying cause of this association.

While previous research studies linked obesity with an increased risk of Alzheimer's 1, this finding stands out as another piece of the puzzle beyond clinical obesity. In the study summary, researchers present a few ideas as to why muscle mass might have a protective effect against Alzheimer's: For one, having more muscle could help improve certain dementia risk factors like insulin resistance and blood pressure. Certain myokines (proteins that are secreted in response to muscular contractions) could also have a neuroprotective effect 2, they note.

It's important to remember that the naked eye cannot evaluate lean muscle mass—two people could look and weigh the same with completely different lean muscle mass measurements. It's all about what's inside.

And the good news is that while you may be born with a certain amount of lean muscle, it's never too late to build more using muscle-centric nutrition, lifestyle, and exercise practices.

How to support your muscle mass and brain health

Let's be clear: You don't have to spend hours lifting weights every day to increase muscle mass. In fact, there are many low-lift factors (pun intended) at play here. Below, some tips to take with you:

Lean into strength training: The best way to build muscle mass is to lean into weightlifting a few days a week. Strength training helps prevent sarcopenia 3, the loss of muscle tissue over time as you age. Here are 33 moves to get you started.
Make protein a priority: Leading protein experts like Don Layman, Ph.D., recommend getting at least 100 grams of protein a day to maintain and build muscle mass, though the exact amount will vary depending on your activity level, age, muscle mass, and overall health. Here are some tips on how to incorporate more protein into every meal (pro tip: it's especially important at breakfast).
Take a daily stroll, too: Studies show that participating in light-intensity physical activity 4 during midlife—like walking—is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and improved body composition 5.

Along with these muscle-supporting tips, you can support healthy cognition by stimulating your brain as you age. Do this by signing up for new hobbies, playing light sports, engaging in brain games or exercises, taking a class you're interested in, or simply socializing more often—research shows this helps to prevent cognitive decline 6.

Make sure you focus on consuming brain-supporting foods as well. A few of the best include kefir, lentils, cashews, berries, microgreens, and sprouts.

If you want to go the extra mile, consider taking a brain longevity supplement for additional support—here's a list of some of the best memory supplements on the market right now.

The takeaway

Research links increased lean muscle mass to decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease. In order to support your muscle mass and your brain, prioritize strength training, consume a brain-healthy diet with plenty of protein, and engage in new activities to stimulate your brain. If you want to dive deeper into the nuances of cognitive health and body composition, check out this article.