65 is the new 25: The training technique that’s turning back the clock for older adults
By Study Finds
Attention, retirees: It’s time to dust off those sneakers and sharpen those pencils. Scientists have cooked up a recipe for staying sharp and fit that combines the best of both worlds – and it’s not prune juice and power walking. A groundbreaking new study suggests that combining brain training with physical exercise could be the key to staying fit and mentally sharp as we grow older.
Researchers from the University of Extremadura in Spain and the University of Birmingham in the U.K. have found that a novel training approach called Brain Endurance Training (BET) can significantly enhance both cognitive and physical performance in older adults. Published in the journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise, the study shows that BET not only improves performance when participants are fresh but also helps them maintain high-performance levels even when fatigued.
For the research, the study authors turned to 24 healthy, sedentary women between the ages of 65 and 78. These women were randomly divided into three groups: one group underwent BET, another group did only physical exercise training, and a control group did no training at all.
The BET and exercise-only groups followed the same physical training regimen: three 45-minute sessions per week for eight weeks. Each session included 20 minutes of resistance exercises (like squats and bicep curls) and 25 minutes of walking. The key difference was that the BET group also performed a 20-minute cognitive task before each exercise session.
To test the effectiveness of the training, the researchers assessed participants’ cognitive and physical performance at four points: before training began, halfway through the eight-week program, immediately after the program ended, and four weeks after the program finished.
The cognitive tests included a psychomotor vigilance task, which measures reaction time and alertness, and a Stroop test, which assesses the ability to override automatic responses – a key aspect of cognitive control. Physical tests included a six-minute walk test, a 30-second chair stand test (repeatedly standing up and sitting down), and a 30-second arm curl test.
Importantly, these tests were performed twice during each assessment: once when participants were “fresh” and again after they had completed a mentally fatiguing 30-minute cognitive task. This allowed researchers to evaluate how well the different training approaches helped participants maintain their performance even when mentally tired.
The results revealed that both the BET and exercise-only groups experienced improvements in cognitive and physical performance compared to the control group. However, the BET group consistently outperformed the exercise-only group, especially when participants were in a fatigued state.
For instance, from the beginning to the end of the study, the BET group improved their performance on the chair stand test by a whopping 59.4% when fatigued, compared to a 47.5% improvement in the exercise-only group. In cognitive tasks, the BET group showed a 12.1% improvement in accuracy on the Stroop test when fatigued, while the exercise-only group improved by 6.9%.
“We have shown that BET could be an effective intervention to improve cognitive and physical performance in older adults, even when fatigued,” says corresponding author Chris Ring from the University of Birmingham in a statement. “This could have significant implications for improving healthspan in this population, including reducing the risk of falls and accidents.”
Moreover, participants in the BET group reported that physical activities felt easier over time, indicating that the combined brain and physical training might help recalibrate the relationship between exercise and perceived effort. This could make it more likely for older adults to stick with exercise routines, further enhancing their health and well-being.
“These promising initial findings show we should do more to encourage older people to engage in BET to improve brain and body activities,” Ring adds.
Of course, because the study only involved a small group of women, Ring says more research on BET is needed with larger sample sizes that include both genders.
Though we can’t turn back time, this study suggests we might be able to make it work a little harder for us. So don’t be surprised if your next visit to the retirement community feels more like a trip to a futuristic training facility. The seniors of tomorrow might just be the superheroes we’ve been waiting for.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The study of 24 sedentary senior women used a randomized controlled design, dividing participants into three groups: BET, exercise-only, and control. The BET and exercise groups performed identical physical training, but the BET group added a cognitive task before each session. All participants underwent cognitive and physical tests four times over 12 weeks. These tests were done both when participants were fresh and after a mentally fatiguing task, allowing researchers to assess performance under different conditions.
Key Results
Both BET and exercise-only groups showed improvements in cognitive and physical performance compared to the control group. However, the BET group consistently outperformed the exercise-only group, especially when participants were fatigued. BET led to larger improvements in tasks like walking distance, chair stands, arm curls, reaction time, and cognitive accuracy. These improvements were maintained even four weeks after the training program ended.
Study Limitations
The study had a relatively small sample size of 24 participants, all of whom were women. This limits the generalizability of the findings to men or larger populations. Additionally, the study only assessed a limited range of cognitive and physical tasks, and the long-term effects beyond 12 weeks were not evaluated.
Discussion & Takeaways
The researchers suggest that BET could be a powerful tool for improving both cognitive and physical health in older adults. By enhancing performance and building resilience to mental fatigue, BET could help older adults maintain independence and reduce the risk of accidents or falls. The study also hints at the potential for BET to make exercise feel easier, which could encourage long-term adherence to fitness routines.
Funding & Disclosures
The study authors declared no conflicts of interest. Information about specific funding sources for this research was not provided in the paper. As with all scientific research, it’s important for readers to consider that further studies, preferably with larger and more diverse samples, would be beneficial to confirm and expand upon these findings.
Source: Study Finds
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