Could Exercise be Linked to Retinal Health?

A recent study shows how aerobic exercise could actually play a role in preserving the structure and function of nerve cells even after retinal damage has occurred.

"This research may lead to tailored exercise regimens or combination therapies in treatments of retinal degenerative diseases," said senior author Machelle Pardue, PhD, from Atlanta VA Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, via a press release. "Possibly in the near future, ophthalmologists could be prescribing exercise as a low-cost intervention to delay vision loss."

As one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly populations may be due to age-related macular degeneration, scientists believe this may be due to the death of photoreceptors responsible for the light.

For the study, researchers ran mice on a treadmill for a period of two weeks meanwhile exposing them to bright light that caused retinal degeneration. It was found that the treadmill training preserved the photoreceptors as well as retinal cell function in the mice.

"One point to emphasize is that the exercise the animals engaged in is really comparable to a brisk walk," Pardue said, via the release. "One previous study that examined the effects of exercise on vision in humans had examined a select group of long distance runners. Our results suggest it's possible to attain these effects with more moderate exercise."

The study also showed that some of the aerobic benefits came in part due to a growth factor known as BDNF that's thought to be related to exercise's effects in other studies. For instance, the study showed that mice who were trained to exercise showed higher levels of BDNF in their brain, blood and retina.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of Neuroscience.