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Mental health benefits of replacing social media with exercise

Mental health benefits of replacing social media with exercise

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Spending less time on social media and more time exercising can enhance emotional well-being and reduce stress, according to research. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images
  • Replacing 30 minutes of social media use per day with physical activity can enhance emotional well-being and reduce stress, German researchers say.
  • The benefits of exercise lingered as much as 6 months after the end of their study.
  • Participants who cut back on social media and exercised more experienced greater happiness and less stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Reduced social media use also correlated with less tobacco consumption.

Social media use exploded with COVID-19’s lockdowns and contact restrictions. Millions turned to Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and other platforms to escape feelings of isolation, anxiety, and hopelessness.

However, excessive screen time has led to addictive behaviors, stronger emotional attachment to social media, and deeper mental anguish for many people.

Researchers at the Ruhr-Universitätt in Bochum, Germany investigated the effects of reducing social media use (SMU) and increasing physical activity, or both, on emotional well-being and tobacco consumption.

Julia Brailosvskaia, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the university’s Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, led the two-week experiment.

Brailosvskaia and her team observed that the interventions they suggested may have helped enhance participants’ satisfaction with life. At a 6-month follow-up, the subjects continued to report spending less time on social media, maintaining physical activity, feeling happier, and smoking fewer cigarettes.

The Journal of Public Health recently published these findings.

The study’s authors noted that mental health “consists of two interrelated but separate dimensions: positive and negative.”

With this paradigm, they hypothesized that the positive dimension of their intervention would “increase life satisfaction and subjective happiness.” The negative dimension would decrease “depression symptoms and addictive tendencies of SMU.”

Medical News Today discussed this study with Dr.Sheldon Zablow, an author and nutritional psychiatrist. He was not involved in the research.

When asked about the effects of social media on mental health, Dr. Zablow asserted:

“If activities interfere with customary basic age-appropriate milestones of economic self-sufficiency, socialization, or health maintenance, then they are detrimental. The activities could be alcohol use, substance use, dietary choices, exercise choices, or entertainment choices—specifically social media.”

Dr. Zablow warned that excessive social media use weakens social interpersonal bonds, which can negatively impact mental health.

MNT also spoke with Dr. David A. Merrill, adult and geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Pacific Brain Health Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, regarding the present study. He was not involved in the research.

Dr. Merrill argued that the term social media is a “misnomer that’s almost like a bait and switch,” designed “to increase user engagement.”

Too much social media use, he said, “could end up exacerbating” mental issues for people with behavioral health conditions or addictive vulnerabilities.

“There’s the brain reward system that you get from clicking or scrolling or maintaining the use of the social media,” Dr. Merrill said.

“I think [that the authors are] demonstrating causally that you both need to have a conscious awareness of the need to limit the self-soothing aspect of social media use, and you also need to have alternatives, so you need to have some other way to bring joy into your life, and especially during the pandemic.”

As a psychiatrist, Dr. Zablow emphasized that “the essential part of any treatment program recommended is exercise. Psychotherapy and, when indicated, medication, will not work well if a person does not exercise.”

Dr. Zablow added that exercise increases the production of neurotransmitters, the brain’s “natural antidepressants and antianxiety molecules.”

Consequently, more exercise can build mental health, while less activity due to social media overuse can curtail healthy brain chemistry.

Dr. Brailosvskaia and her colleagues reasoned that a “conscious and controlled reduction of time spent on SMU as well as an increase of time spent on physical activity could causally reduce negative mental health consequences of the COVID-19 situation.” They also believed that combining both interventions might amplify this effect.

The professor mentioned that the methods can easily fit into everyday life with little cost, effort, or risk of violating COVID-19 protocols.

Further, the scientists expected their experiment to reduce stress caused by COVID-19 and diminish smoking behavior.

The researchers recruited 642 healthy adult social media users and placed them in 4 experimental groups.

The social media (SM) group had 162 individuals, the physical activity (PA) group of 161, a combination group of 159, and a control group of 160.

Over 2 weeks, the SM subjects reduced their daily SMU time by 30 minutes and the PA group increased their daily physical activity by 30 minutes. The combination group applied both interventions, while the control did not change their behaviors.

Following the World Health Organization’s physical activity recommendations for adults, the first three groups increased their exercise time by 30 minutes.

The participants completed online surveys and “daily compliance” diaries at the start of the trial, 1 week later, and after the 2-week period. They also submitted follow-up surveys at 1, 3, and 6 months post-experiment.

Dr. Brailosvskaia and her team concluded that their interventions helped people decrease the time they spend with SM.

Even 6 months after the experiment, “the participants had reduced their daily initial SM time by about 37 minutes in the SM group, by about 33 minutes in the PA group, and by about 46 minutes in the combination group.”

Moreover, participants reported having a decreased emotional bond with social media.

All the interventions encouraged more physical activity as well. “Six months later, our participants had enhanced their initial weekly physical activity time for 26 minutes in the SM group, for 40 minutes in the PA group, and for 1 hour 39 minutes in the combination group,” the authors wrote.

Even the control group increased their activity by 20 minutes.

Dr. Merrill was impressed with the study’s “striking findings with the combination of reducing social media with increasing physical activity.” He agreed with the notion that SMU restrictions need a complementing activity that brings joy or a sense of achievement.

According to the study’s authors, the “experimental longitudinal design” of their present research allowed them to establish causality.

However, the study population lacked diversity. All the participants were young, female, German, Caucasian, and highly educated.

Dr. Merrill felt that, while it would be “interesting” to replicate this investigation in the United States with a more diverse group, the results would likely be similar.

The study did not consider which form of SMU the subjects were using or specify which type of physical activity the participants engaged in. The researchers hope that future work will focus more on these factors.

Dr. Brailosvskaia’s research suggests that modest changes in SMU and physical activity could help protect and enhance mental health conveniently and affordably.

The professor and her team recognize how SMU can minimize isolation and help spread information.

“From time to time, it is important to consciously limit one’s online accessibility and to go back to the human roots — […] a physically active lifestyle — to stay happy and healthy in the age of digitalization,” the researchers wrote.

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Regular exercise may help women live longer, regardless of their genes

Regular exercise may help women live longer, regardless of their genes

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California researchers found that physical activity of any intensity may lower the risk of death in women older than 60, regardless of their genetic propensity for longevity. Rob and Julia Campbell/Stocksy
  • Health experts state that staying active can contribute to healthy aging in older adults.
  • California researchers found that physical activity of any intensity may lower the risk of death in women older than 60 years.
  • Their nationwide study also uncovered more evidence that more sedentary behaviors carry greater mortality risk, regardless of genetic propensity for longevity.
  • The authors hope these findings will encourage older women to be active to reduce the risk of diseases and premature death.

In the United States, the National Center for Health Statistics estimates the life expectancies of males and females are 74.5 years and 80.2 years, respectively. For healthy aging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that physical activity is key.

To find out whether physical activity had an advantage over genetics in promoting longevity, researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California San Diego and other institutions conducted a nationwide study.

After analyzing health data of more than 5,000 older postmenopausal women, the researchers found that higher levels of light, moderate, or vigorous physical activity correlated with a lower risk of all-cause deaths. The findings expanded on prior studies that have shown that more sedentary time carries greater health risks.

These associations persisted across varying levels of genetic potential for living longer.

“[The] findings support the importance of higher physical activity (PA) and lower sedentary time (ST) for reducing mortality risk in older women, regardless of [their] genetic predisposition for longevity,” the researchers wrote.

Their prospective study was recently published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.

From 2012 to 2020, the UC San Diego researchers analyzed data on the physical activity of more than 5,000 ambulatory women ages 63 and older.

Lead author Alexander Posis, MPH, a doctoral student in the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, explained the significance of the OPACH study to Medical News Today:

“Our study used pre-existing data from the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health (OPACH) study, which is part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) that started in the early 1990s because women had not been included in many epidemiologic studies and clinical trials.”

– Alexander Posis, MPH, lead author of the study

The OPACH study focused on associations between physical activity, cardiovascular disease, and injury risks. The data generated allowed researchers to look at physical activity and the risk of mortality, cancers, cognitive decline, and physical disability as well.

Other research using the OPACH study found associations with physical activity (PA), sedentary time (ST), and mortality during an average follow-up of 3 years. However, no one had explored any possible genetic influence on these associations.

The UC San Diego study aimed to use a follow-up of 6 years and adjust the results with a “weighted genetic risk score (GRS) for longevity.”

Activity, variants, and covariates

OPACH participants wore an accelerometer 24 hours per day for 7 consecutive days.

The device measured the amount of time the women spent moving or being still and the intensity of any activity.

The researchers defined total PA “as movement resulting in energy expenditure.” They categorized PA intensity and ST minutes using predetermined cut points applied to the accelerometer counts.

Choosing longevity genes

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have linked multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or genetic variants, to longevity.

The UC San Diego cohort developed a weighted GRS based on three SNPs strongly associated with long life. This metric compared survival to age 90 versus death before age 90.

Covariates and comorbidities

Covariates, or characteristics among the study’s participants, included age, education level, body mass index (BMI), self-reported health status, and other details. Participants’ race was also a factor but was limited to white, Black, and Hispanic ethnicities.

The study also analyzed chronic conditions present before or after participation, including cancer, depression, frequent falls, and cardiovascular disease.

Of the 5,446 women in the present study’s sample, 1,022 passed away during follow-up.

The authors determined that 36{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the total population had a high GRS, 33.1{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} had a medium GRS, and 30.9{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} had a low GRS for longevity.

The researchers firstly found that physical activity, of light or moderate-to-vigorous intensity, was associated with a lower risk of death while higher ST was associated with a higher risk of death. Interestingly, these associations persisted regardless of one’s genetic predisposition for longevity.

Interestingly, the low-GRS individuals were younger, more active, and had higher physical functioning scores than the other GRS groups. Those with low GRS were also “more likely to be of Black race/ethnicity than the medium and high GRS groups.”

“Our study showed that, even if you aren’t likely to live long based on your genes, you can still extend your lifespan by engaging in positive lifestyle behaviors such as regular exercise and sitting less,” Aladdin H. Shadyab, PhD, the study’s senior author and assistant professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, said in a news release.

Historically, women have been significantly underrepresented in clinical trials. Using data from the OPACH study was a step forward in inclusive research.

However, the resulting lack of male participation created a limitation on the UC San Diego study’s findings.

“Based on the design of our study, we were not able to make any inferences on men. But we hope that future studies will examine these associations in study cohorts that include men as well as those in younger age groups,” Posis told MNT.

Dr. Scott Kaiser, a geriatrician and director of Geriatric Cognitive Health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told MNT the work is a “well-done study [… with] a lot of great data.” However, he cautioned that the current study is an association study and not designed to prove causality.

“I think this just supports an increasing amount of evidence that our genes are not our destiny […] It shows that there is a stronger association between longevity with physical activity than [with] genetics,” Dr. Kaiser said.

Noting that the present study focused on only certain markers of longevity, Dr. Kaiser added that researchers need to determine other such factors. For instance, he said that the SNPs used to calculate the GRS were more common among people of European ancestry.

Is ‘sedentary’ a misnomer?

Dr. Kaiser said the term “sedentary time” might not be appropriate. It does not account for people who are unable to walk but can still engage in other physical activities such as chair exercises.

“It’s whether you just have some consistent physical activity versus somebody who’s overall physically inactive,” he said.

Dr. Kaiser hopes the public will understand that genetics do not trump a healthy lifestyle for reducing disease and mortality risk.

“When it comes to healthy aging, exercise is about the closest thing we have to a miracle drug,” he said.

“The whole take of this [study] is that even if you could go to your doctor and get a fancy genetic test to see whether or not you have markers of longevity, it doesn’t matter as much as whether you get up off the couch and exercise on a regular basis.”

– Dr. Scott Kaiser, geriatrician and director of Geriatric Cognitive Health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA

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Exercise and sauna bathing boost heart health more than exercise alone

Exercise and sauna bathing boost heart health more than exercise alone

  • Researchers investigated the consequences of exercise and sauna bathing on cardiovascular health and fitness.
  • They found that work out and sauna bathing with each other are more advantageous for cardiovascular well being than workout alone.
  • Even further exploration is essential to identify ideal sauna temperatures and durations for cardiovascular overall health in various populations.

Physical action promotes cardiovascular overall health and lessens mortality risk. Cardiorespiratory physical fitness (CRF), calculated by maximal oxygen uptake through maximal energy exercising testing, is inversely connected to cardiovascular problems (CVD) and all-result in mortality.

Sauna bathing is a passive heat treatment utilised for pleasure, peace, and wellness.

Analysis from 2015 indicates that regular sauna bathing is connected to a reduced chance of lethal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality results. In addition, an observational analyze from 2018 observed that higher amounts of CRF and sauna bathing 3 to 7 periods for every 7 days minimize deadly cardiovascular and all-induce mortality situations in comparison to fantastic CRF or frequent sauna bathing on your own.

Knowing a lot more about the mixed consequences of sauna bathing and training on cardiovascular well being could assistance individuals control cardiovascular threat aspects.

A new examine from the College of Jyväskylä, Finland done a randomized manage trial (RCT) to look at the outcomes of sauna bathing and exercise with work out on your own on cardiovascular health and fitness. The scientists observed that combining sauna bathing with exercise improved heart overall health far more than just exercising.

The findings ended up lately printed in the American Journal of Physiology.

For the examine, the scientists recruited a overall of 48 male and female contributors among 30 and 64 years old. All experienced a sedentary life style, which scientists described as having a desk-certain occupation and significantly less than 30 minutes of complete physical activity for every week.

Each individual participant also experienced at least just one cardiovascular hazard element, including:

The members had been then randomized into a single of 3 procedure groups:

  • guideline-primarily based normal exercising and a 15-minute publish-training sauna
  • guideline-dependent regular physical exercise alone
  • regulate group

The intervention groups exercised 3 times per 7 days for 60 minutes, together with a 10-moment whole-entire body warm-up, 20 minutes of resistance workout, and 30 minutes of cardio work out.

Participants ended up assessed during the demo. Most important outcomes incorporated CRF — measured by maximal oxygen uptake — and blood stress. Secondary results involved body fat mass, whole cholesterol amounts, and arterial stiffness.

After examining the final results, the researchers uncovered that equally intervention teams experienced lower body fat mass and better CRF than the management group.

Those in the put together sauna bathing and work out team, even so, professional much more sizeable improves in CRF, and additional significant decreases in systolic blood strain (SBP) and whole cholesterol than people in the training by itself team.

When requested how combining sauna bathing with physical exercise could be much more valuable to cardiovascular danger components than exercising on your own, Earric Lee, a doctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and the guide writer of the examine, told MNT:

“What we know from the literature is that the submit-exercising time period is what is known as a ‘window of option,’ exactly where there is increased insulin sensitivity and blunted blood lipid degrees (for no more time than 60–90 minutes). This offers alone as an suitable chance for conjunctive interventions these as heat therapy, and in this case, sauna bathing.”

“In addition, in the course of the post-exercise period, angiogenic variables are elevated and consequently altering blood move or oxygen delivery publish-training can have an additive or synergistic outcome on angiogenic signaling induced by training on your own, though this has nonetheless to be experimentally set up in human beings,” he added.

Chris Minson, professor of human physiology at the College of Oregon, not included in the research, also explained to MNT:

“Some of these adjustments ended up very likely manifested by way of a larger warmth shock protein (HSP) reaction in the [exercise and sauna group] as opposed to the physical exercise-by yourself team. HSPs are acknowledged to have quite a few valuable effects on blood vessel wellbeing, endothelial functionality, and heart purpose when up-regulated. They have also been carried out in skeletal muscle mass operate and blood volume growth, which may well have improved cardiorespiratory functionality.”

The scientists concluded that upcoming research need to examine the exceptional exposure durations, frequencies, modalities, and temperatures for warmth exposure to reward cardiovascular health and fitness.

When asked about the study’s limits, Lee pointed out that they only investigated persons with at the very least one cardiovascular possibility element, which indicates their findings may perhaps not utilize to healthy populations, athletes, or these with non-sedentary existence.

Matthew S. Ganio, PhD, professor of exercise science at the College of Arkansas, not associated in the study, also explained to MNT: “This analyze has a solid examine style, but it would have been nice to see the impartial impact of sauna use alone.”

“It is curious to notice that exercise alone did not lead to improvements in resting blood strain or cholesterol compared to non-workout, non-sauna use controls. It was only when evaluating work out to training furthermore sauna use that we see improvements in people cardiovascular threat aspects. This infers there is a little something distinctive about the sauna use alone that is driving variations in blood strain and cholesterol.”

– Matthew S. Ganio, PhD, professor of exercising science at the University of Arkansas

Lee mentioned that throughout the investigation, they greater the sauna temperature fortnightly by 5 degrees Celcius to stay clear of a “plateau outcome.”

“We can consider about it from an exercise point of view when we get fitter, the exact amount of training at the exact same intensity or period would not be ‘stressful’ for the body any lengthier, and [thus improvements stall],” Lee stated.

He added that physical exercise depth, duration, or frequency have to be amplified to develop extra stress for the entire body to triumph over and that the same can be claimed for heat pressure induced by sauna bathing.

“I deliver this position up mainly because most people today who use the sauna would most likely only have entry to a publicly out there a single, wherever they may perhaps not be in a position to modify the temperatures,” he reported. “In this kind of situations, it may be a lot more feasible to either boost the frequency of visits above time- [going once per week for a month and then twice per week for the next month, for example- or increase the session duration- from five minutes each time for six weeks to seven minutes for the next six weeks].”

“Epidemiological facts has uncovered that increased sauna use frequency and duration is affiliated with decrease CVD and all-lead to mortality possibility, while sauna pay a visit to frequency and sauna bathing period are yet to be experimentally analyzed.”

– Earric Lee, doctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and direct author of the review

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Exercise may protect brain health by keeping insulin, BMI levels low

Exercise may protect brain health by keeping insulin, BMI levels low

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How does exercise protect brain health? New research sheds light. Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images
  • Existing studies show that exercise helps protect brain cells through mechanisms that researchers do not yet fully understand.
  • Researchers know that exercise increases brain glucose metabolism, which correlates with improved brain function.
  • Studies show that exercise affects insulin resistance and has a complex relationship with body mass index (BMI) levels.
  • A new study suggests that exercise plays a role in maintaining insulin and BMI levels, which may help stave off dementia by protecting gray matter volume in the brain.

A new study investigates the mechanisms involved in the relationship between exercise and brain health.

Previous research had shown that larger gray matter volume can help protect against dementia by improving brain function.

The new study shows that insulin resistance and BMI mediate the relationship between larger and smaller brain gray matter volumes (the part of the brain involved in processing information).

The research is published in the April 2022 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The corresponding author of the study was Dr. Geraldine Poisnel, of the Inserm Regional Research Center, in Caen, Normandy, France.

The study involved 134 people with an average age of 69 who had no memory problems. The participants filled out a physical activity survey covering the past 12 months. They also had brain scans to measure glucose metabolism and brain volume.

The metabolism of glucose in the brain provides fuel for the brain by generating adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) — a key molecule for maintaining the health of neurons and other cells. ATP is also key for generating neurotransmitters. Reduced glucose metabolism in the brain can be seen in people with dementia.

Gray matter development peaks at age 2–3 years. It begins to decrease afterward in some areas of the brain, but the density of the gray matter increases. From an evolutionary perspective, the higher processing ability of the human brain and its development are due to this increase in density.

In some studies, larger total brain volume, estimated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has a weak correlation with higher intelligence in men and a very weak correlation in women with the ability to do well in intelligence tests.

In contrast, brain tissue deterioration and loss of volume is a significant contributor to lower cognitive ability later in life.

In the new study, researchers included 134 people with an average age of 69 who had no memory problems. The participants filled out a physical activity survey covering the past 12 months. They also had brain scans to measure glucose metabolism and brain volume.

In the new study, researchers gathered formation on cardiovascular risk factors including BMI and insulin levels, as well as cholesterol, blood pressure, and other factors.

The researchers examined the relationship between insulin and cardiovascular disease. The metabolic abnormalities that insulin causes raise the risk of cardiovascular complications, which in turn affect brain function.

Researchers found that insulin and BMI levels did not affect the metabolism of glucose in the brain.

The research demonstrated that the amount of amyloid plaque in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer’s Disease was not affected by exercise.

Medical News Today contacted Dr. Raeanne Moore, associate adjunct professor of psychiatry at UCSD in La Jolla, CA.

Dr. Moore, who was not involved in the study, was asked about the study results. She shared with MNT:

“This study adds to the growing body of research on the positive benefits of staying active on brain health, especially as we age.”

“[T]here is an urgent need to identify markers of cognitive decline,” added Dr. Moore. “Decreasing insulin levels and losing weight are modifiable factors that can be improved with a healthy diet and exercise.”

She added, “It was not surprising that higher physical activity was not associated with how much amyloid plaque people had in their brains. There is growing evidence that vascular risk factors on cognitive function are mediated by the amount of tau pathology in the brain and not an amyloid burden.”

MNT also spoke with Dr. Sheldon Zablow, assistant professor of medicine at University of California San Diego Medical School in La Jolla, CA. Dr. Zablow shared his comments about this study:

“Exercise has often been called food for the brain with many studies showing the benefit of exercise for improving brain health and reducing the risk of dementia.”

“This current research study states that physical activity improves cognitive brain function by reducing BMI and improving insulin metabolism. Improvement in weight control can limit the rate of brain volume loss, a known risk factor for dementia.”

“This study will help physicians reinforce the importance of regular exercise in reducing BMI as a low-cost means of limiting cognitive decline.”

– Dr. Zablow

Dr. Moore’s final remarks were, “The literature clearly demonstrates that cardiovascular risk factors are associated with cognitive decline and risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.”

“Studies investigating subtle brain changes prior to the development of dementia are critical to optimizing brain health and staving off cognitive decline.”

“Strengths of this study include a sample of cognitively normal older adults and the use of multimodal imaging methods to explore the role of CVD risk factors in the association between physical activity and neuroimaging biomarkers,” said Dr. Moore.

“[T]his methodology can move the field forward by helping to identify important markers of risk for cognitive decline.”

“A limitation to the study was the use of a self-report of physical activity […] which the authors acknowledged as a limitation. Self-report of physical activity is prone to retrospective recall bias, and objective tools to measure physical activity, such as fitness trackers, are more accurate.”

“These findings that insulin and BMI fully mediated the relationship between physical activity and whole-brain gray matter volume — and specifically hippocampal gray matter volume — provide further evidence that targeting these modifiable CVD risk factors could improve brain health.”

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Why does exercise get harder the less one does? Study sheds light

Why does exercise get harder the less one does? Study sheds light

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A new review reveals that a protein may possibly support explain why training is more durable soon after prolonged durations of inactivity. Hello there Africa/Getty Pictures
  • Scientific studies have revealed that Piezo1, a protein identified in the internal lining of blood vessels, can detect the rise in blood circulation during actual physical work out.
  • A new examine in mice located that Piezo1 is critical for protecting the density of capillaries in the muscle groups and the potential for actual physical exercise.
  • These conclusions recommend that the existence of Piezo1 in blood vessels may modulate the capability for physical performance centered on improvements in blood move all through bodily training.
  • Physical inactivity may consequence in lower blood flow to the muscle tissues, decreased activation of Piezo1, and subsequently a decrease in work out capability.

Durations of bodily inactivity owing to a sedentary life-style, health issues, or injuries are connected with diminished potential for actual physical training, or detraining.

A recent examine in mice implies that the Piezo1 protein expressed by endothelial cells lining the internal surface of blood vessels could mediate these results of actual physical inactivity on workout capacity.

Preceding exploration has demonstrated that the endothelial Piezo1 protein can detect improvements in blood stream for the duration of actual physical action. The current review discovered that the deactivation of Piezo1 resulted in a diminished density of capillaries in the muscle mass and a drop in the ability for physical activity.

These facts propose that Piezo1 can modulate the community blood supply to muscle mass and hence bodily general performance ability in accordance to bodily exercise amounts.

The study’s co-author Dr. Fiona Bartoli, a postdoctoral fellow at the College of Leeds, United Kingdom, explained to Health-related News Currently: “Although this examine was performed in mice, the Piezo1 protein is also existing in individuals, indicating that the exact same molecular system could exist. We advise that deactivating Piezo1 by not performing plenty of physical exercise impacts actual physical general performance by lowering the capillary density in muscle groups.”

“This restricted blood movement means exercise becomes much more complicated, creating further inactivity and foremost to a downward spiral. It will help to make clear the biology of why work out results in being more durable the less you do and why it is important to training frequently to hold our Piezo1 proteins active to retain our physical efficiency and health and fitness.”

– Dr. Bartoli

The research seems in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Scientists have speculated for some time now that selected molecules in the system could be ready to detect actual physical action concentrations and aid the physique adapt as the concentrations of physical exercise adjust.

Actual physical action is connected with an improve in blood move to the muscle mass. Therefore, molecules capable of detecting changes in blood movement to the muscles could provide as work out sensors.

The endothelium is a layer of cells that sorts the innermost area of blood vessels and can detect alterations in blood move.

Modern experiments have revealed that the Piezo1 protein expressed by endothelial cells can feeling the increase in blood stream for the duration of bodily activity. What’s more, the Piezo1 protein is also critical for boosting blood move to the muscle tissue during bodily activity.

Having said that, the impact of Piezo1 on physical activity levels continues to be unclear. Researchers undertook the existing study to take a look at the skill of Piezo1 to modulate actual physical exercise levels.

In the current analyze, the scientists employed adult mice that they experienced genetically engineered by disrupting the expression of the Piezo1 gene in their endothelial cells. Deactivating Piezo1 in adult mice assisted the researchers stay away from any perhaps destructive results that disrupting this protein could have experienced in acquiring mice.

They when compared the consequences of Piezo1 deactivation on actual physical action with a handle group consisting of adult mice with intact endothelial Piezo1 expression.

The scientists identified that mice in the Piezo1 deactivation group showed decrease operating, climbing, and going for walks degrees at 10 months than the control team.

Whilst animals in each groups engaged in bodily exercise for a comparable total of time, Piezo1 deactivation led to lower operating speeds, suggesting a decline in the want for bodily exercise.

These facts suggest that Piezo1 deactivation experienced a damaging effect on physical functionality with no influencing the determination to engage in actual physical exercise.

Variations in respiration, metabolism, coronary heart functionality, or muscle mass composition could possibly reveal the drop in actual physical functionality right after Piezo1 deactivation.

The researchers found that Piezo1 deactivation did not alter power metabolic process, respiratory or cardiac function. In the same way, animals in the experimental and regulate groups did not differ in skeletal muscle mass mass or the composition of muscle fibers, each of which can affect bodily effectiveness.

Subsequently, the scientists examined the impact of Piezo1 disruption on the density of capillaries in the skeletal muscle mass. They observed that Piezo1 deactivation lowered capillary density in muscular tissues by 20{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. Moreover, these a reduction in capillary density was absent in cardiac tissue, suggesting that the results of Piezo1 deactivation ended up precise to the skeletal muscle tissue.

The scientists then examined if the lowered capillary density in skeletal muscle tissue soon after Piezo1 deactivation was because of to the regression of formerly present blood vessels. The endothelial cells in the blood vessels are supported by a matrix known as the vascular basement membrane.

Immediately after deactivation of Piezo1, the scientists uncovered remnants of beforehand present capillaries in the variety of the vascular basement membrane with no hooked up endothelial cells in skeletal muscle mass.

They also determined an upregulation of markers for mobile loss of life in endothelial cells immediately after Piezo1 deactivation.

These information advise that the lowered capillary density in skeletal muscle tissue just after Piezo1 deactivation was due to increased demise of endothelial cells, resulting in regression of blood vessels.

According to a product based on these info, the enhanced blood movement during bodily activity may activate the endothelial Piezo1 protein. This activation may assistance retain or enhance the stability of blood vessels in skeletal muscle tissue, therefore escalating capillary density and increasing muscle general performance.

In the existing research, the disruption of Piezo1 gene expression in genetically modified mice resulted in lessen bodily action degrees and diminished capillary density in the skeletal muscle tissue.

The researchers notice that a very similar deactivation of Piezo1 may possibly manifest throughout lengthy durations of actual physical inactivity, resulting in lowered work out potential.

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Exercise may protect cognition by reducing inflammation

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New research shows how exercise helps protect cognition in older people by reducing inflammation. Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
  • Physical activity may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia and slow age-related cognitive decline.
  • Aging and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have associations with increased inflammation in the brain.
  • Animal studies have shown that physical activity may lead to cognitive benefits by reducing the activation of microglial cells, the primary immune cells in the brain.
  • A new study involving older adults reports that reducing microglial activation may help support the protective effects of physical activity on cognitive functioning.

A decline in certain cognitive abilities, such as memory and attention, is typical with aging. However, some individuals may experience dementia, which involves a severe decrease in cognitive abilities that impair daily functioning.

Studies show that individuals who exercise regularly have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia. Moreover, physical activity can slow down the progression of cognitive decline.

Scientists do not fully understand the mechanisms through which physical activity produces these cognitive benefits in humans.

A recent study led by researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) shows that reducing inflammation in the brain may mediate the cognitive benefits of physical activity.

Specifically, the researchers found that physical exercise had associations with reduced activation of microglia, the primary immune cells in the brain.

The study’s co-author, Dr. Kaitlin Casaletto, a professor at UCSF, told Medical News Today, “Many studies show that physical activity relates to better brain and cognitive health (e.g., estimates indicate that inactivity alone accounts for 13{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide). Yet, we still do not fundamentally understand the mechanisms linking physical activity to cognition in humans. Our study is the first human data showing that microglial activation (“brain inflammation”) may be a meaningful mechanism.”

The study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The nervous system consists of two major cell types: neurons and glial cells. Neurons are primarily involved in transmitting electrical and chemical signals, whereas glial cells protect and support neurons. More recently, scientists have discovered that glial cells can modulate signal transmission between neurons.

Animal studies suggest that the glial cells in the brain may mediate the beneficial effects of physical activity on cognitive function. Specifically, physical activity is known to alter the activity of microglia, a sub-type of glial cells.

Microglia are the brain’s immune cells and become activated in response to an infection or neuron damage.

Activation of microglia can benefit the immune system as it mounts an inflammatory response against an infection. But an abnormal increase in the activation of microglia can damage neurons.

Chronic low-grade inflammation in the brain is a characteristic of aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, studies show that these conditions involve an abnormal increase in the number of activated microglia in the brain.

Scientists know that physical exercise in animals reduces the activation of microglia and other brain markers of inflammation.

Microglia can also modulate the structure and function of synapses, which are specialized contact sites through which neurons communicate with each other. Microglia play an important role in the formation and elimination of synapses.

Moreover, they can modulate the strength of these synapses, thus influencing signal transmission between neurons.

Studies in animals show that the cognitive benefits of physical activity have associations with improvements in synaptic health or integrity. Furthermore, these studies suggest that microglia may mediate the effects of physical activity on synaptic integrity and cognitive function.

The present study investigated the relationship between physical activity and microglial activation in older adults. Given the association between physical activity and improvements in cognitive function and synaptic health, the study estimated the extent to which changes in microglial activity may support these effects of physical activity.

The study found that, as in animals, physical activity had associations with reduced microglial activation in older adults. Moreover, the study’s results suggest that reduced microglial activation could be one of the brain pathways through which physical activity protects individuals from cognitive decline, especially in Alzheimer’s disease.

The present study consisted of 167 deceased individuals enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP). The Rush MAP is a longitudinal study that aims to identify risk factors associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Rush MAP includes older adults without dementia at enrollment and involves annual assessments for dementia risk factors. The participants in the project had agreed to donate their brains and other organs for post-mortem analysis.

The present study consisted of individuals with an average age of 87 years at the time of the first physical activity test and 90 years at their death.

The researchers assessed daily physical activity using a wearable sensor called actigraph. Actigraphy provides an objective measure of physical activity by continuously tracking periods of motor activity and rest over multiple days.

In the current study, the researchers conducted actigraphy assessments continuously for up to 10 days. They also conducted yearly tests to assess cognitive function and the ability of the participants to perform various motor tasks.

After the participants’ death, the researchers analyzed the brain tissue to determine the number of activated microglia in four brain regions. They also assessed the levels of proteins associated with synaptic health and brain markers for Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, stroke (infarcts), and other conditions.

The researchers found that higher physical activity levels measured using actigraphy had associations with a lower proportion of activated microglia when they considered all four brain regions together.

Factors such as limited motor function and cognitive impairment could potentially restrict the ability of the participants to engage in physical activity.

Consequently, the researchers adjusted their analysis for age, sex, motor, and cognitive function. They found that the association between the proportion of activated microglia and physical activity was independent of these variables.

The researchers then examined this association in individual brain regions. They found that the association between higher physical activity levels and reduced microglial activation reached statistical significance only in two brain regions — the ventromedial caudate and the inferior temporal gyrus.

Furthermore, the relationship between physical activity and reduced microglial activation was stronger in individuals with higher levels of brain pathologies in these two brain regions.

The brain pathologies found in the ventromedial caudate and inferior temporal gyrus consisted of microinfarcts (or mini-stroke) and Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies, respectively.

In other words, individuals with higher levels of brain pathologies who regularly engaged in physical activity showed lower microglial activation than their counterparts with similar brain pathology levels but lower physical activity levels.

These data suggest that the effects of physical activity on microglial activation were specific to certain brain regions. These results are consistent with data showing that microinfarcts and brain pathologies associated with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be more common in the two brain regions.

The researchers then examined the association between microglial activation and clinically meaningful markers for dementia, namely cognition and the integrity of the synapses.

Microglial activation in the inferior temporal gyrus, but not the ventromedial caudate, had associations with a decline in cognitive functioning and lower levels of synaptic health markers.

Next, the researchers examined the extent to which reduced microglial activation associated with physical activity could improve cognition and the integrity of synapses.

Using a statistical method called mediation analysis, the researchers estimated that the decrease in the proportion of activated microglial in the inferior temporal gyrus contributed to over 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity on cognition and synaptic markers.

Significantly, changes in microglial activation in the inferior temporal gyrus in individuals with higher levels of Alzheimer’s disease-related brain pathologies mediated more than 40{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity on cognition and synaptic health.

In contrast, in individuals with lower Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies, changes in microglial activity contributed to only 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity.

Noting the significance of these findings, Dr. Tristan Qingyun Li said:

”This current work by Casaletto et al. is uniquely significant in that it provides the first evidence in humans to show that changes in microglial activation may be the mechanism bridging the beneficial effects of physical activity and healthier brain function. Furthermore, it points to a specific brain region, namely inferior temporal gyrus, that might be the most relevant for future microglia-based interventions.”

Dr. Li is a professor at the Washington University School of Medicine and was not involved in the study.

One of the study’s strengths included the use of actigraphy, which provides an objective assessment of physical activity levels. This is in contrast to other studies that often estimate physical activity levels using self-reports, which are prone to biases and inaccuracies.

This is the first human study to show that physical activity may improve cognitive functioning by reducing microglial activation.

Dr. Casaletto noted that the study had a few limitations. She said, “A major limitation of this work is the observational design. We cannot determine the directionality of effects, and it is likely that at least some of the relationship between physical activity and brain inflammation is bidirectional (i.e., brain inflammation leading to reductions in physical activity).”

Dr. Casaletto said that her research group intends to address this shortcoming in subsequent studies. She said, “We have a physical activity intervention study ongoing in which we hope to capture complementary markers of in-vivo inflammatory markers to help support causality of effects.”

Among other limitations, Dr. Casaletto noted, “We captured physical activity and cognition in life but brain inflammation and pathology at death. These are likely dynamic processes, and understanding the temporal link between lifestyle behaviors and biological changes is needed.”

Lastly, Dr. Casaletto noted that the study participants were primarily white and from Northeastern Illinois. Thus, the researchers do not know whether they can generalize the findings to a diverse population.