Could a Protein Released during Exercise Help Prevent the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease?

A recent study suggests that exercise can actually help preserve brain health and prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

According to researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston, they worked to test if exercise could be used to help cognitive-related diseases, including both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. At this time, both have no cure or extremely successful methods to prevent or stop the progression of the disease.

Lead study author Dr. Bruce Spiegelman found that FNDC5, a protein that is normally released by the body via the bloodstream during muscle exertion, is also known as a "human exercise gene" and is usually naturally released by the body when working out. Researchers discovered that once the body produces high levels of this protein, it actually jumpstarts the production of another protein known as BDNF that is linked to brain health. This protein in particular heals the body with learning and memory.

Laboratory tests showed that when scientists put mice on an exercise wheel for 30 days to let their bodies' produce enough FNDC5 to jumpstart the brain protein, improvement of learning and memory was shown in the brain waves of the mice that exercised.

Researchers also discovered that the protein given to the group of mice that did not exercise still showed the same beneficial results.

Spiegelman hopes that this could one day provide sufferers of cognitive disorders with a preventative medicine that incorporates the protein. 

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Cell Metabolism.