Table 2 Effects of physical exercise on brain metabolism in humans
From: Brain metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease: biological mechanisms of exercise
Subjects/age (years)/cognition | Intervention groups | Exercise protocol | Main Effects of glucose /lipid/Aβ/iron/tau metabolism in the brain | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
23 adults with a family history of AD/45–80/cognitively normal | Control group: Usual PA group Intervention group: Enhanced PA group | 26-week chronic treadmill walking/ 3 times a week/moderate intensity | VO2 peak increased; executive function improvement; enhanced glucose metabolism. | [33] |
15 (younger) and 12 (older) adults/18–30, 65–80/cognitively normal | Control group: sedentary group Intervention group: HIIT group | 12-week regular HIIT combined with treadmill walking/5 days a week/high intensity | VO2 peak increased; increased glucose intake. | [34] |
4 male and 6 female AD dementia patients/ average age 73/mild dementia | Control group: sedentary control group Intervention group: Walking group | 3-month aerobic treadmill training/3 days a week/moderate intensity | Increased uptake and utilisation of ketones; maintained glucose uptake; improved cognition and energy metabolism | [71] |
16 male and 17 female AD dementia patients/ average age 70/amnestic MCI | Control group: stretching control group Intervention group: high-intensity aerobic exercise group | 6-month chronic treadmill walking/45–60 min each day, 4 days a week/high intensity | Executive function improvement; increased glucose disposal | [169] |