Physical exercises can help people avoid the weakening of memory, which sometimes comes with age.

A new study revealed the reason for this association of physical activity with memory. According to the National Academy of Science, exercise can stimulate the growth of nerve fibers, the loss of which is associated with age-related memory impairment.

The head of the study, Dr. Scott A. Small, a professor of neurology at the Columbia University Medical Center, revealed differences in the structure of the nerve tissue of volunteers who worked on simulators, compared to those who did not engage in them.

A study involving volunteers confirmed preliminary data obtained in the work on mice. During the time when the mice performed physical exercises, the blood circulation of individual regions of the brain increased significantly, which indirectly increased the growth of nerve fibers.

When studying the activity of the brain, 11 volunteers who were engaged on the treadmill, it was revealed that the blood circulation of the brain increased in a manner similar to that observed in mice. Especially abundant was the blood supply to the hippocampal region of the brain - the department that is responsible for the formation of memories.

After a three-month course of exercise, the memory tests showed an increase in the ability to memorize and improve the memory properties of the subjects.

According to the researchers, the key cause of this effect was aerobic exercise.

Medicinform. Net.