Physical fitness equals brain fitness for older men, according to study

( Natural News ) Brain function tends to decline with age. The good news is that exercise is found to boost brain health, especially for aging men. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology revealed that older men who exercise regularly saw better improvements in their cognitive function or executive function than older women. Executive function refers to a person’s ability to focus, pay attention, and manage time. Researchers from York University and McGill University in Canada observed men and women with an average age of 67, who reported their daily physical activity level during the study. They also reported their height, weight, age, sex, and resting heart rate, which the researchers used to measure their cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness measures the amount of oxygen in the body and how well it is delivered to the muscles during exercise. Fitness levels can also affect the brain’s gray matter, which determines cognitive function. In addition, the researchers conducted brain imaging tests to record the participants’ nerve function both within specific brain networks and among all networks. Although the women exhibited higher local network efficiency and lower global network efficiency, the men saw greater improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness. This suggested that gender makes a difference in the overall effect of exercise on the brain. “Our findings that [cardiorespiratory fitness] is associated with brain function in a sex-dependent manner underscore the importance of considering sex as a factor when studying associations between exercise and brain health in older adulthood,” wrote the researchers. Mother Nature’s micronutrient secret : Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here. How much exercise do older adults need to improve their brain function? […]

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