Exercise could be the antidote to aging that Americans seek

Author: Jeannette E. Warnert There’s something magical about exercise. It impacts the body in many different ways, and all of them are good. Exercise burns calories, improves cardiovascular health, tones muscles, boosts mood, and now scientists are learning that it also thwarts one of the most-feared symptoms of aging, memory loss. Researchers at UC Irvine are conducting a 15-site national study on the effects of aerobic exercise on adults with mild memory problems. They are hoping to document evidence that will allow physicians to write prescriptions for exercise. “Exercise is medicine,” said James Hicks, director of UC Irvine’s Center for Exercise Medicine and Sport Sciences. To date, no effective drug therapies to treat dementia have been found. “Since 2002, 420 clinical trials on drugs targeted for Alzheimer’s have been launched. All of them failed,” Hicks said. “No drug will change its trajectory. But physical activity might.” Another UC Irvine professor, Carl Cotman, agrees. “That concept has exploded. That’s where the future is: understanding how exercise alters disease trajectories and improves outcomes,” Cotman said. Cotman’s research showed that exercise increases production of a substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which aides in learning and memory and facilitates connections among nerve cells. It’s so critical to brain function that it has been dubbed “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” “Exercise builds brain health,” Cotman said. “It makes you more efficient. You’re thinking cleaner. It introduces a state of readiness.” UC ANR educators encourage Californians to exercise While scientists study the impact of exercise at the molecular level, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources nutrition educators continue to emphasize the importance of physical activity when they teach youth and families ways to improve their lives with healthy eating and movement. UC ANR’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is offered in 24 counties in California. […]

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