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Home » Exercise Programs » A brisk walk could be the pathway to a healthier brain, says a new study – National Post

Could the key to a healthier brain and body be a brisk walk?

Researchers from the University of Mnster, Germany have found that faster walkers have better-performing, healthier brains. Analyzing the brain scans of 1,200 volunteers, the team of psychiatrists and statisticians found that walking speed is associated with enhanced brain health and cognitive function.

For the study, the researchers used open data from the Human Connectome Project, a centralized database of volunteers brain scans, based at the University of Washington in St. Louis, Missouri. Ethically reviewed by the university, the data bank allows scientists from around the world to conduct their own research on its findings.

The Mnster team studied volunteers who had their brains scanned using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Among other tasks, the volunteers, at the time of the scans, had been asked to walk as quickly as they could, for two minutes. How far they walked was recorded, and the volunteers also took a number of tests to measure mental performance. The cognitive tests measured memory, sharpness, judgement, and reasoning.

Screening

Using rigorous statistical analysis, the team at Mnster screened out other variables, such as obesity and age, and determined that physical fitness was associated with better performance on the cognitive tests. Whats more, they found that volunteers who walked further in two minutes had greater microstructural integrity of white matter in their brains. In other words: better walking performance was associated with a healthier brain.

White matter acts as an insulator for nerve fibres in the brain, ensuring nerve signals pass quickly and smoothly from one part of the brain to the other. White matter is mostly made up of lipids (fat cells), giving it its whitish colour. It acts like electrical wiring insulation, explained Dr. Jonathan Repple, coordinator of the research team at the University of Mnster. By looking at the MRI scans of the volunteers brains, he told the National Post, the team was able to measure the structural integrity, or health, of white matter.

Once the research team had collected data on volunteers walking speed, brain function, and cognition performance, they rolled up their sleeves for the next challenge: rigorous statistical analysis. The team included an economist and statistician, Stella Martin, who helped run complex statistical procedures called linear regressions, to see how the data was related. She repeated analyses to see if other variables besides physical fitness, such as Body Mass Index (BMI), were affecting the results.

What they found astounded them: volunteers who walked further in the two-minute test had greater concentrations of white matter and had higher test scores on the cognitive tests. Whats more, white matter was correlated with better cognitive performance. Fitter people had better insulation on their brain wiring, reported Dr. Repple.

It seems like the wire is better insulated in people who are physically active and fit, he told the Post. These seem to be better-working people who are actively fit.

Why would this be?

Fit people have better blood circulation and a better regulated immune system, leading to less inflammation in the brain. The nerve fibres arent being attacked, he said.

It sounds stupid, Martin said, but the two-minute walking test is highly externally validated and highly correlated with other measures of physical fitness. Its a great measure of peoples fitness level.

While previous studies have shown connections between exercise and brain health, they have relied on small samples, making the results less generalizable. This study, which used some 1,200 volunteers, allowed the research team to control for interfering variables.

If fitter volunteers have better brains, could physical fitness help with mental decline in old age?

Perhaps, says, Repple. A basic level of fitness seems to be a preventable risk factor for brain health.

Past steps

The University of Mnsters study confirms other reports connecting the benefits of walking on physical and mental health. According to Harvard Health, walking can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems by 31 per cent, and cut the risk of dying by 32 per cent. Walking and other moderate exercise programs also help protect against dementia, peripheral artery disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, colon cancer and even erectile dysfunction, Harvard Health says in its online materials.

In fact, walking is so important that the U.S. Surgeon General has called on Americans take up the activity. Walking is a powerful public health strategy, the Surgeon Generals office noted. It can reduce illness from chronic diseases and premature death, and lower levels of anxiety and depression among students.

Walking is accessible, low-cost, and presents a lower risk of injury than other activities, note fitness experts Lee Scott and Michele Stanten in their new volume, The Walking Solution. Stepping out for a walk of just 30 minutes per day can lower the risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and breast cancer, they say.

Next steps

Having shown an association between walking performance and mental health, Repple says he would next like to explore the association as it relates to patients with mental and psychiatric illnesses. Individuals with bipolar disorder and depression have different amounts of white matter in their brains, affecting the transmission of brain signals.

Could exercise treat such illnesses? Repple cant say for certain, but he would like to pursue exercise physical training studies to (explore) brain connectivity and psychiatric outcomes.

What about the researcher themselves? Do they walk the walk?

Our team didnt go for walks, Martin laughed, when asked if the research team at the University of Mnster were clocking up big step counts. The Town of Mnster is known for cycling. When we go to work we go there by bike.

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A brisk walk could be the pathway to a healthier brain, says a new study - National Post

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Home » Exercise Programs » A brisk walk could be the pathway to a healthier brain, says a new study – National Post