Despite Kohli's flowing form ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, pundits have raised concerns over his strike-rate
cricket2 hours ago
Age-related deterioration in the all-important white and gray matter in the brain makes a number of high-level "executive function" tasks -- such as planning, scheduling, working memory and multi-tasking -- much more difficult, Drs. Arthur F. Kramer and Kirk I. Erickson explain in the latest issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Yet a substantial body of research shows that these are the very processes that are most responsive to physical exercise, note the authors from the University of Illinois Beckman Institute, Urbana.
In people with or those without signs of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, regular moderate physical activity, enough to make a person breathless, has been shown to boost not only the speed and sharpness of thought but also the actual volume of brain tissue and the way in which the brain functions, Kramer and Erickson note.
For example, in a 6-month study Kramer and colleagues conducted, adults ages 60 to 75 who walked briskly for 45 minutes a day three days a week not only improved their aerobic fitness but also their mental fitness -- particularly their ability to perform executive function tasks - compared with a control group who engaged only in non-aerobic stretching and toning exercises.
These results suggest that regular moderate aerobic exercise can "reliably reverse age-related cognitive decline," Kramer and Erickson write, and that the aging brain retains its capacity to grow and develop.
Other researchers, they note, have found that physically fitter adults have less evidence of deterioration in gray matter (critical to thinking) than their less physically fit counterparts.
Still others have found that physically fitter older women going through menopause -- a time of declining estrogen levels and memory trouble -- have more gray brain matter and perform better on measures of executive control than their less physically fit peers, whether or not they are taking hormone replacement therapy, which can boost cognitive function.
Summing up, Kramer and Erickson point out that "many questions remain unanswered" regarding the effects of exercise on the brain. However, "we can safely argue that an active lifestyle with moderate amounts of aerobic activity will likely improve cognitive and brain function, and reverse the neural decay frequently observed in older adults," they conclude.
Despite Kohli's flowing form ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, pundits have raised concerns over his strike-rate
cricket2 hours ago
Saudi Arabia has begun to explore extracting lithium from sea water
business2 hours ago
Speaking after meeting Lebanese leaders, French foreign minister says there had been "a lot of progress" over the French proposals
mena2 hours ago
The three-shot winner from Japan says he is aiming to become a member of the PGA Tour in the future
sports3 hours ago
Big-hitting Nienaber falters at the finish to settle for secondwhile former Abu Dhabi resident David Horsey takes the third spot at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
sports3 hours ago
The UAE is India's second-largest export destination after the US
economy3 hours ago
Islamabad is seeking a larger long-term agreement with the fund after a current $3 billion standby arrangement expires this month
economy3 hours ago
Prior to halting operations, WCK had distributed more than 43 million meals in Gaza since October
world4 hours ago