EXERCISE FOR BRAIN I

Conceptual basis, principles and effects

We adress what it is about this first Neuroexercise proposal. Which are the conceptual foundations, the effects and the benefits:

• WHAT IS EXERCISE FOR BRAIN?
• PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THE PROPOSAL IS BASED:
• EFECTOS
• BENEFICIOS

The number of people over 65 has tripled in the last century. Not only has life expectancy increased, but also life at older ages has improved. This increase in life expectancy and quality of life has come about through the combined improvement of both the physical and mental components.

In 1901 the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer identified the first case of what we now call Alzheimer’s disease. Today there are about 50 million people with some form of dementia and 65% of them with Alzheimer’s disease. A new case of dementia is detected every 4 seconds worldwide and it is estimated that by the year 2050 about 150 million people will suffer from that disease. However, despite a steady increase in the number of cases, the incidence is falling rapidly in developed countries. Factors such as education and physical health are partly responsible for this effect.

Up to the age of 65-70, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer are prevalent. It is from this age that the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s increases dramatically. It is estimated that it takes about 30 years from the onset of the disease to its manifestation. As it is a disease with a long and silent evolution until it manifests itself, a preventive approach is necessary. This approach should seek to prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases and increase the functional capacity of the brain to provide us with greater strength and mental power.

While research is underway to find an effective cure for dementia, we must focus on the factors we can influence to delay or even prevent its onset. Of the 150 million people estimated by the WHO to have some form of dementia by 2050, it is estimated that around 50% of cases could be prevented. The main risk factors include a sedentary lifestyle, unbalanced diet, lack of socialisation and low cognitive stimulation.

One of the preventive interventions that has been shown to be most effective is regular physical exercise. Neuroscience is producing a large number of scientific papers showing that physical exercise is among the most important protective factors against neurodegenerative diseases and directly related to the improvement of brain function.

WHAT IS EXERCISE FOR BRAIN?

Any type of adaptation that occurs in the organism during physical exercise, whether muscular, metabolic, cardiovascular or neuronal, has a neurological basis. Likewise, any brain function, including cognitive, consumes energy and therefore has a physiological basis.

Physical exercise programmes are usually built around the development of specific basic physical capacities: cardiovascular capacity, strength and to a lesser extent flexibility. More recently, physical activities for psychological well-being and stress reduction have been added. Their objectives focus on the physical aspects, although they also produce, although unintended, benefits for the Nervous System.

Recent research on the brain points to the need for new methods of physical activity that take into account both physical development and the structure and functionality of the brain. As a result of this need, Neuroexercise proposals for brain development such as EXERCISE FOR BRAIN have appeared. This proposal of personalised exercise seeks to improve the function of the organism in general and that of the brain in particular.

The characteristic that makes this programme innovative is that it proposes an enriched physical exercise, from a neurostimulatory point of view, which tries to increase the stimulating capacity that exercise has on the brain. It is known that an enriched environment, whether physically, cognitively or socially, has a direct effect on brain development. The continuous challenge of novelty and overcoming challenges stimulates cognitive abilities through neural development, which is undoubtedly one of the pillars of brain health.

PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THE PROPOSAL IS BASED:

These are the principles on which the EXERCISE FOR BRAIN programme is based:

• The BODY and the BRAIN are interdependent and form ONE INTEGRAL FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM. The brain has a higher hierarchical position within the control and direction system of our organism but all its functions are based on the perception of the stimuli it receives from the rest of the body which informs it of the characteristics of the environment. The brain is fundamental to the management of life but the body is fundamental to the brain’s ability to relate to a variable physical and social environment.
• MOVEMENT is a FACTOR we have at our disposal to ALTER THE ENVIRONMENT, which we have considered as a fundamental part of cognition. Cognition is a function of the whole organism and the environment is part of the cognitive process. With a movement we can alter the environment and therefore influence the function of the brain, which must respond to this alteration.
• Increased neural stimulation induces NEUROPLASTICITY which is the foundation for the structural and functional development of the brain. Personal experiences shape the brain structure which is in constant transformation. Movement, due to its richness and variety of stimuli, is a cognitive exercise of extreme intensity that is related to neurological adaptations derived from high brain stimulation.
• All PHYSICAL EXERCISE can be ENRICHED, from a neurostimulatory point of view, to enhance the effects on the brain specific to each activity. The tendency of the brain is always to anticipate the future, but a brain that anticipates is less active. A cognitively, physically or socially enriched environment increases the level of neural stimulation and promotes neural plasticity. NOVELTY, COMPLEXITY, MOTIVATION and COGNITIVE CONTENT are factors that enrich activity because they have an enhancing effect on the neurostimulatory level.
• Brain function depends on FUNCTIONAL SUPPORTING STRUCTURES, such as the cardiovascular system, cerebral vasculature, glia cells, digestive system, metabolic capacity and respiratory system. These non-neuronal structures are essential for enhancing memory, intelligence and brain development. An optimal cerebral capillary density that ensures a correct supply of nutrients, O2 and an efficient elimination of accumulated waste products is fundamental to guarantee a long-lasting cerebral functionality.
• DIFFERENT PHYSICAL EXERCISES have DIFFERENT EFFECTS on brain structure and function. The combination of aerobic and strength exercise appears to be the best for improving cognitive performance. Adding activities with complex movement patterns that require high motor coordination or cognitive content can enhance the neurostimulatory effect. The combination of all three types of exercise can enhance whole brain development.

EFFECTS

Valid scientific evidence suggests that physical training is beneficial for the development of brain structure. Based on the most recent neuroscientific literature, a programme that combines strength, cardiovascular and neurostimulator work, as is the case with EXERCISE FOR BRAIN, produces a series of adaptations.

At the nervous system level:

• Stimulates neuronal plasticity, increasing the number, complexity and length of dendritic branches. Stimulates neurogenesis.
• Increases control and synchronisation of synapses.
• Enhances connectivity and coordination between different areas of the brain and between the different hemispheres.
• Increases the volume of the grey and white mass.
• Increases bilateral hippocampal volume and reduces age-related loss of frontal, parietal and temporal lobe volume.
• Stimulates the release of certain proteins and peptides called myokines, among which are different neutrophic growth factors such as Interleukins, BDNF, IGF, VEGF, NGF, which induce neuroprotection, neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.
• Stimulates myelination of neurons.
• Increases the availability and release of more neurotransmitters.
• Improves the function of some neurotransmitters.
• Increases the number and function of glial cells (astrocytes, microglia and Swan cells) that monitor, prevent, repair damage to neurons and remove debris from the brain.
• It reduces microglial activation leading to increased synaptogenesis and neurogenesis.

At the circulatory system level:

• It stimulates angiogenesis (creation of new capillaries) which increases capillary density and cerebral blood flow. This improves the supply and metabolisation of glucose and O2. Increased energy availability and increased cerebral metabolism.
• Increases the functionality of the cardiorespiratory system, which is related to the increase in cerebral circulation volume.
• Stimulates the production of more mitochondria.
• Stimulates brain mitochondrial function, which improves O2 supply and brain metabolic capacity and reduces oxidative stress and inflammation. Reduction of pathogenic protein production and improved elimination of pathogenic proteins.
• Increases availability of enzymes that act in the brain.
• Increases circulation in the bloodstream of hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, which directly affect brain function, both cognition and mental state.
• Reduces production of high-density lipoproteins HDLP, such as cholesterol, which impair cerebral circulation.
• Reduces blood pressure. High blood pressure directly affects the hippocampus

BENEFITS:

The benefits of a regular programme of physical activity are widely known. The effects produced by a programme that aims not only at the functional improvement of the organism but also provides a greater neuronal stimulation and a greater cognitive demand, lead to benefits at a mental level, such as:

• Increased brain health and reduced impairment of neuronal deterioration. This results in increased protection against neurodegenerative diseases.
• Improved high-level brain and cognitive functions.
• Improved mental well-being and better control of stress and anxiety.
• Increased muscle mass and strength, which improves the ability to move which is related to brain health.
• Increased perceptual and movement control abilities.
• Improved postural attitude
• Improved body self-image and self-esteem.
• Adherence to physical activity, even when there is no longer a specific goal to pursue.
• Self-care and concern for oneself, physically and emotionally.

EXERCISE FOR BRAIN is an intervention plan that seeks brain health in an integrated and personalised way through physical exercise. It seeks to increase the stimulation of the brain to enhance its functions and to act synergistically with the information contained in the body in the form of perceptions, sensations and bodily intuitions. The following posts briefly explain its characteristics.