This fat burning game is recommended by neurologists to boost memory
Health officials recommend 30 minutes of physical activity per day. And for good reason, the simple act of moving is good for the heart, body and mind. But not all games are equal. According to the findings of an Australian study, an activity that would be ideal for improving cognitive functions and working on your memory.
To carry out their work, researchers at the University of Queensland studied the hypothesis that sport could reduce the risk of dementia. Considering the varying reports that already exist on the effectiveness of different sports, the researchers examined a number of physical activities. Their results focused on one specific sport: HIIT. The game is said to have long-term positive effects on hippocampal-based cognitive functions such as learning and memory.
Hippocampus and cognitive performance
To obtain these results, scientists compared the effects of multiple training sessions on the brains of older people. For 6 months, participants without cognitive deficits aged 65 to 85 were randomly assigned to one of these three types of exercise:
- LIIT (Low Intensity Interval Training): low-intensity training in long sessions, while benefiting from rest periods
- MIT (Moderate/High Intensity Interval Training): Moderate Intensity Training
- HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training): Intensive sessions that involve training until you reach your maximum heart rate, benefiting from short rest periods between exercises.
In total, 151 participants divided into three groups attended 72 supervised sessions. Every month, researchers analyzed their brain activity and their cognitive performance involving the hippocampus, an important brain structure for long-term memory. And this, for a period of five years and in parallel with the blood samples. Result: One of the three groups clearly stands out from the crowd. Participants who completed HIIT classes showed significant improvements in hippocampal function. The researchers also noted prevention of age-related volumetric decline in several brain regions, including the hippocampus, and improvements in functional connectivity between several neural networks that were not seen in other groups.
Preserve your memory for 5 years thanks to HIIT
How can we explain that a specific sport can prevent cognitive decline? In addition to improving brain abilities associated with the hippocampus, HIIT, known as a slimming sport, will also prevent cognitive decline. An even more surprising finding from Australian researchers: The benefits were seen for at least five years after HIIT sessions began. “The sustained improvement in hippocampal function confirms that such exercise-based interventions can provide significant protection against age-related cognitive decline,” the study said. Changes in the levels of certain blood factors may also serve as useful biomarkers to determine optimal exercise programs to promote cognitive improvement. ,
Changing your lifestyle habits will be the best way to age with good health. So physical activity, and specifically HIIT, is an essential tool to combat dementia associated with aging. Facing the major health challenge posed by Alzheimer’s disease, researchers hope to delay the onset of dementia by five years, reducing the prevalence of the disease by 41% by 2050.
Source :
Aging and disease, Long-term improvements in hippocampus-dependent learning capacity in healthy, aged individuals following high-intensity interval training (2024).