Recent research has suggested that metabolic disorders, like obesity and type 2 diabetes, can contribute to brain aging (neuronal senescence), which is often linked to Alzheimer?s disease. While regular endurance exercise (e.g., running) provides numerous health benefits, its potential protection against neuronal senescence in the face of metabolic disorders has not yet been identified.
In this study, investigators fed mice a high-fat and sugar (fructose) diet for 12 weeks until obesity and type 2 diabetes were developed. Upon confirmation of these metabolic disorders, the mice were placed on a treadmill running exercise program for 13 weeks while continuing on the same diet. Development of obesity and type 2 diabetes caused inflammation, oxidative stress and advanced neuronal senescence in the hippocampus (a memory-control center) of the brain.
On the contrary, endurance exercise remarkably restored blood glucose levels along with weight loss and prevented adverse neuronal anomalies and senescence. These findings suggest that regular running exercise might prevent unfavorable brain aging induced by metabolic disorders.?View the article
Click here for full podcast playlist.
