Fit legs equals fit brain, study suggests

[Gert van der Hoek]

10 November 2015

Older women who have strong legs are likely to fare better when it comes to ageing of the brain, a decade-long study of more than 300 twins suggests.

The King's College London team says leg power is a useful marker of whether someone is getting enough exercise to help keep their mind in good shape.Exercise releases chemicals in the body that may boost elderly brains, say the scientists, in the journal Gerontology.
But they say more research is needed to prove their hunch.

Generally, the twin who had more leg power at the start of the study sustained their cognition better and had fewer brain changes associated with ageing measured after 10 years. And the finding remained when other known lifestyle and health risk factors for dementia were included.

Lead researcher Dr Claire Steves said: "When it came to cognitive ageing, leg strength was the strongest factor that had an impact in our study.

"Other factors such as heart health were also important, but the link with leg strength remained even after we accounted for these.
"We think leg strength is a marker of the kind of physical activity that is good for your brain."