How Strength Training May Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Read that title again. It doesn’t seem possible, right? It might not even sound logical. How could squats and overhead presses have anything to do with brain health? And could they really reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease? That doesn’t seem right! But the connection is closer than you might think.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that results primarily from synaptic loss, neuronal dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, and difficulty with thinking and problem-solving. For those of us who have had loved ones with Alzheimer’s, it is overwhelming and heartbreaking to witness. With the aging population on the rise, more and more research has focused on how we can slow—or even prevent—the progression of this disease.
It’s an unfortunate misconception that there’s nothing we can do to prevent Alzheimer’s. In reality, it’s becoming increasingly clear that lifestyle changes implemented earlier in life may be the key. Dr. Sarita Khemani, Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurosurgery at Stanford University, states, “Nearly half of all Alzheimer's cases could have been prevented or delayed by modifiable factors, including lifestyle changes.”
How Can Strength Training Help?
Strength training activates our muscles metabolically. When our muscles are active, they pull glucose from the bloodstream and store it, which improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar levels. This regulatory effect also helps reduce chronic inflammation in the body. Low-level chronic inflammation gradually disrupts the smooth functioning of many systems—including the neurological system. Exercise, especially resistance training, has been found not only to help modulate neuroinflammation but also to promote neurogenesis and reduce amyloid plaque formation in the cortex and hippocampus.
A 2020 study in Sydney, Australia, found that over an 18-month period, older adults with mild cognitive impairment who participated in supervised strength training for 90 minutes per week experienced only a 1–2% reduction in hippocampal volume—sometimes none at all. In contrast, a physically inactive control group saw reductions of 3–4% over the same period. Even more compelling, these results persisted for 12 months after the intervention ended. And this study involved at-risk older adults. Just imagine the potential benefits if strength training had been incorporated earlier in life—how much more physically resilient their hippocampi might have been, and how that could have helped prevent the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise also supports the brain through a process called neuroplasticity—our brain’s ability to form new neural connections and strengthen existing ones. Exercise challenges our joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles, and this physical challenge promotes neuroplasticity, often referred to as “muscle memory.” The more neural connections we can create, the more resilient our brains and neurological systems become.
So, if you ever needed a reason to start an exercise program that includes strength training—this is it. Let’s fight off Alzheimer’s and live happy, healthy lives for as long as possible!
Shannon Hall, PT, DPT
Sources:
