Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognition and Telomere Length in Healthy Older Women

Overview

Journal Brain Sci

Publisher MDPI

Date 2021 Nov 27

PMID 34827416

Citations 14

Authors

Juan Luis Sanchez-Gonzalez

Juan Luis Sanchez-Rodriguez

Javier Martin-Vallejo

Abel Martel-Martel

Rogelio Gonzalez-Sarmiento

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Physical exercise is an effective measure for preventing the onset of cognitive decline and has a direct influence on the aging process. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a 6-month physical exercise program on cognition and telomere length in adults over 65 years of age.

Method: Seventy-four healthy women were separated into two groups: 41 were included in the intervention group (IG) (72.70 ± 4.127 years and 8.18 ± 1.551 years of education) and 33 in the control group (CG) (71.21 ± 4.127 years and 8.42 ± 2.562). The participants included within the IG carried out three sessions of physical exercise per week for six months. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Stroop test and the Trail Making Test (TMT). Saliva samples were taken and analyzed and relative telomere length was calculated. Those conducting the analysis were blind to the group to which the participants had been assigned.

Results: An improvement was observed in global cognitive function, in both attentional and executive functions, in the group of adults doing physical exercise as compared to the control group. Six months after the physical exercise program had finished, relative telomere length was found to have increased in the participants in the intervention group.

Conclusion: Physical exercise programs can lead to an improvement in both cognitive functions and telomere length.

Citing Articles

Effect of Physical Exercise on Telomere Length: Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sanchez-Gonzalez J, Sanchez-Rodriguez J, Gonzalez-Sarmiento R, Navarro-Lopez V, Juarez-Vela R, Perez J JMIR Aging. 2025; 8():e64539.

PMID: 39846264 PMC: 11755188. DOI: 10.2196/64539.

Oral intake of degalactosylated whey protein increases peripheral blood telomere length in young and aged mice.

Inui T, Kawamura N, Yamamura M, Kubo K, Yamakage H, Satoh-Asahara N Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):30859.

PMID: 39730524 PMC: 11681036. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-81597-3.

Effect of strength-based physical exercise on telomere length as a marker of premature ageing in patients with schizophrenia: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Sanchez-Gonzalez J, Juarez-Vela R, Dutil Munoz de la Torre V, Andres-Olivera M, Martin-Vallejo J, Moran-Bayon A BJPsych Open. 2024; 10(5):e162.

PMID: 39324245 PMC: 11457242. DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2024.753.

Short-term multicomponent exercise training improves executive function in postmenopausal women.

Ramadhana D, Putra R, Sibarani M, Sulistiawati S, Sari D, Rejeki P PLoS One. 2024; 19(8):e0307812.

PMID: 39141601 PMC: 11324113. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307812.

A 3 month nutrition and exercise program improved hallux strength among senior daycare center users in Korea: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Sim J, Lim J, Lee H, Park S, Shin D Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1364908.

PMID: 39104890 PMC: 11299432. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1364908.

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