exercise tagged posts

Stroop-interference-related cortical activation patterns. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Tsukuba

Neuroimaging studies, in which the activity of different parts of the brain can be visualized, have provided some clues. Until now, however, no study has directly linked brain activation with both mental and physical performance. They found that the fitter men performed better mentally than the less fit men, by using parts of their brains in the same way as in their youth.

As we age, we use different parts of our brain compared to our younger selves. Eg when young, we mainly use the left side of our prefrontal cortex (PFC) for mental tasks involving short term memory, understanding the meaning of words and the ability to recognize previously encountered events, objects, or people...

Schematic figure of the arterial wall under healthy conditions (left) and in endothelial dysfunction with increased vasoconstriction from increase ET1

Overweight and obese adults are advised to exercise to improve their health, but more than 50 percent do not do so. New research to be presented at the 14th International Conference on Endothelin: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Therapeutics suggests that taking vitamin C supplements daily can have similar cardiovascular benefits as regular exercise in these adults.

Potential mechanisms contributing to low bone mass and increased fracture susceptibility in diabetes mellitus.

“Clinical trials have revealed a startling elevation in fracture risk in diabetic patients,” says Liyun Wang, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Delaware. “Bone fractures can be life threatening – nearly one in six hip fracture patients dies within a year of injury.” As physical exercise is proven to improve bone properties and reduce fracture risk in non-diabetic people, Wang’s group decided to test its efficacy in Type 1 diabetes.

Osteocytes are critical to maintenance of the tissue quality and mechanical integrity of bone...

University of Illinois Beckman Institute postdoctoral researcher Agnieszka Burzynska and her colleagues analyzed the brain and cognition of Olga Kotelko, a 93-year-old track-and-field athlete. Burzynska is now a professor at Colorado State University. Credit: L. Brian Stauffer

1st glimpse of potential effects of Exercise on the brains and cognitive abilities of the ‘oldest old.’ In the summer of 2012, Olga Kotelko, a 93-year-old Canadian track-and-field athlete with more than 30 world records in her age group, submitted to an in-depth analysis of her brain.

A retired teacher and mother of two, Kotelko started her athletic career late in life: slow-pitch softball at age 65, and at 77 switched to track-and-field events...