New research indicates that mild exercise such as low-intensity bicycling can improve cognitive function and prefrontal cortex efficiency in middle-aged and older adults.
The study, conducted by investigators at the University of Tsukuba and the University of California, Irvine, sought to investigate the long-term effects and underlying mechanisms of mild aerobic exercise on brain function.
The study involved a group of healthy middle-aged and older adults, aged between 55 and 78.
The participants were randomly divided into two groups: one engaged in low-intensity bicycle exercise three times a week for three months, while the other group continued with their normal daily routines.
Using a Stroop test, the researchers evaluated the participants’ executive function, and assessed prefrontal cortex activity during the task with functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
The results showed significant improvement in executive function in the exercise group compared to the control group.
Moreover, the benefits of mild exercise were especially noticeable in the older adults aged 68 to 78. The brain mechanism behind this improvement involved increased efficiency in the activation of the prefrontal cortex.
That is, the participants exhibited high executive function with relatively low corresponding brain activation, suggesting the prefrontal cortex was utilized more efficiently during the Stroop test after the mild exercise regimen.
This research underscores the beneficial effects of mild exercise over a three-month period in boosting the functionality of the prefrontal cortex and enhancing cognitive function in older adults.
This information could be vital for developing new exercise programs that improve executive function and are readily accessible for older individuals with low physical fitness or limited motivation to exercise.
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The study was published in GeroScience.
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