University of Missouri scientists have found that just 10 days of physical inactivity can have negative effects on memory and learning.
A recently published study conducted on female rats shows for the first time that even short periods of severe inactivity allow the buildup of proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers also found that avoiding muscle use causes insulin resistance, a potential contributor to the disease.
“People just think that if they don't exercise, they're just missing out on a benefit but there's not an actual negative consequence,” said Nathan Kerr, a postdoctoral fellow at NextGen Precision Health Institute who finished his doctorate in biomedical sciences working on the study. “Maybe it'd be more powerful if you understand how bad not exercising is for you.”
Though the study was conducted on rats instead of humans, Kerr said it confirms observations in humans, who can’t be studied invasively.
“The reason this type of work is necessary is, obviously we can't go in and look and find detail in the brain of human,” Kerr said, adding that a rat’s brain is essentially a “shrunk down and simplified version of the human brain.”
Kerr said he hopes the study will spark a stronger effort to promote physical activity.
“We're in the camp that we think it'd be much easier to prevent the disease from occurring rather than treat it after it has occurred,” Kerr said. “And data consistently shows that living an active lifestyle is what's going to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease to the greatest degree.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death among Americans aged 65 and older. As the American population ages, College of Veterinary Medicine Professor Emeritus Frank Booth said preventing Alzheimer’s is more important than ever.
According to to U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to increase nearly 50%, from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050.
“It's the older population that's growing, and they're the ones that can't really exercise anymore,” said Booth, who oversaw the lab.
Booth, who entered a retirement home in November, at 81, said he’s noticed older individuals using mobility devices and losing muscle mass.
“If you already reach 65 and you're really sensitive to Alzheimer's, it's too late to exercise as you did when you were 20,” Booth said.
Booth, who has been studying physical inactivity since the 1980s and has published over 300 studies on the subject, said research shows early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease can appear when people are in their thirties and forties. Practicing regular physical activity at a younger age is a good way to prevent the disease, he said.
“We have to get people physically active at a younger age, so they maintain it throughout life.”
