The impact of exercise on Alzheimer’s disease progression

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The preventive effects of chronic physical exercise (CPE) on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are now admitted by the scientific community. Curative effects of CPE are more disputed, but they deserve to be investigated, since CPE is a natural non-pharmacological alternative for the treatment of AD.

Areas covered

In this perspective, the authors discuss the impact of CPE on AD based on an exhaustive literature search using the electronic databases PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar.

Expert opinion

Aerobic exercise alone is probably not the unique solution and needs to be complemented by other exercises (physical activities) to optimize the slowing down of AD. Anaerobic, muscle strength and power, balance/coordination and meditative exercises may also help to slow down the AD progression. However, the scientific evidence does not allow a precise description of the best training program for patients with AD. Influential environmental conditions (e.g. social relations, outdoor or indoor exercise) should also be studied to optimize training programs aimed at slowing down the AD progression.

KEYWORDS:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• exercise
• physical activity
• slowing-down effects
• Alzheimer’s disease progression
• cognitive function
• activity of daily living

Article highlights

• Evidence suggests that chronic physical exercise (CPE) slows down the progression of AD by inducing neurotrophic effects.

• Aerobic exercise promotes angiogenesis and the release of neurotrophic factors (e.g. IGF-1, BDNF, VEGF) linked to increased cerebral blood flow, which in turn promotes cerebral plasticity.

• Neurotrophic factors such as IGF-1 are thought to facilitate the clearance of beta-amyloid and reduce the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein that are key features of AD.

• Anaerobic, muscle strength and power, balance/coordination and meditative exercises may also help to slow down the progression of AD.

• CPE could contribute to increase cognitive reserve (along with nutrition, level of education, social relations and mental activity), which is the most promising way of preventing and combating AD.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.