In the pursuit of finding ways to combat Alzheimer's disease, scientists have delved deep into unravelling the relationship between our daily lifestyles and this debilitating condition.

While exercise has already been recognised as a potential solution, here's some uplifting news: there's a specific action you can take during your workouts that may greatly enhance your efforts in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's—building lean muscle.

Yes, you read that right! Not only does exercise play a crucial role, but focusing on developing lean muscle mass can offer even greater benefits in the fight against Alzheimer's.

Studies conducted by scientists from the University of California San Francisco have indicated that developing lean muscle might just be the ticket to evading, or at least delaying, the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

A new study indicates lean muscle mass may play a preventive role in Alzheimer’s disease onset. Credit: Shutterstock.

According to the research, those who can boast of higher, lifelong levels of lean muscle mass might witness a staggering 12 per cent reduction in their risk of getting Alzheimer's.

Earlier studies had considered factors such as obesity and body mass index (BMI) in assessing Alzheimer's development. Such studies, however, did not expose any conclusive results, according to Dr Iyas Daghlas, a neurology resident at UCSF.

Hence, this led his team to explore the aspect of body composition more closely.

They wanted to identify how lean mass and fat mass were individually associated with the disease. By evaluating data from hundreds of thousands of individuals and using Mendelian randomisation, researchers found 584 genetic variants linked to lean muscle mass.

The interesting part? Not a single one of these was located in the part of our brains vulnerable to Alzheimer's.

Furthermore, participants bearing higher lean muscle mass seemed to experience a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. To double-check these initial findings, the experiment was repeated with a larger sample of individuals and proved to hold true.

Surprisingly enough, after adjusting for lean mass, there was no noticeable link discovered between body fat and Alzheimer’s risk. This was unexpected because excess body fat is usually linked to cognitive impairment.

‘This study supports current recommendations to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent dementia. It is a hopeful finding which gives patients agency in their neurologic health,’ Dr Iyas Daghlas explained.

While these fascinating findings have sparked our curiosity, they haven't provided all the answers just yet. There's still some confusion surrounding when exactly building lean muscle offers protection against Alzheimer's development, and the precise mechanisms through which lean muscle affects Alzheimer's are still shrouded in mystery.

Nevertheless, this study does shed some light on potential connections. One intriguing possibility is the role of circulating centrally acting myokines, which are proteins released by muscles and have a positive impact on brain function.

There's also speculation about other muscle-related factors like bone hormones, disparities in strength training, sex hormones, and even the quality of sleep, among various other considerations.

Key Takeaways

• New research suggests that developing lean muscle could potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and signifies a 12 per cent reduction in Alzheimer’s risk for individuals with higher, lifelong levels of lean muscle mass.
• The study method involved dissecting body mass into lean mass and fat mass; the data from hundreds of thousands of individuals was analysed with the help of Mendelian randomisation and bioimpedance measures.
• The analysis revealed that greater lean muscle is associated with reduced chances of developing Alzheimer’s, yet discovered no link between body fat and Alzheimer’s risk.

While the study definitely gives us a glimmer of hope, we can't jump to any firm conclusions just yet. Nonetheless, it certainly highlights the potential benefits of focusing on our physical health, particularly when it comes to building and maintaining those muscles.

Members, this is your friendly reminder! If you have the chance, why not step outside for a refreshing stroll or squeeze in a quick workout during your free time? It may not seem like much, but these little efforts can go a long way in keeping our minds sharp and functioning at their best!

So, what are your thoughts on this topic? Are you already doing something to take care of your mental and cognitive well-being? Don't be shy—share your tips and advice with us in the comments section below!

 

[Col@45]

Exercise is good for lots of things as we get older, as well as keeping weight down, it's good for our brains and also can be a social activity. These days you see too many people at cafes eating all those unhealthy fried meals loaded with chips.