Reviewing Exercise as a Means to Slow Neurodegeneration
Researchers here review the evidence for exercise to slow the onset and progression of neurodegenerative conditions. A mountain of evidence demonstrates exercise (and the practice of calorie restriction) to improve long term health and at least modestly slow age-related degeneration. For the cost, meaning essentially free, it is a good deal. The future will bring medical technologies that can greatly improve upon the benefits of exercise by targeting the underlying causes of aging, but for now it remains one of the best options on the table.
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease, are heavy burdens to global health and economic development worldwide. Mounting evidence suggests that exercise has a positive impact on the life quality of elderly with neurodegenerative diseases. Three major databases were searched related to current studies in exercise intervention on neurodegenerative diseases using omics tools, including metabolomics, metagenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. We summarized the omics features and potential mechanisms associated with exercise and neurodegenerative diseases in the current studies. Three main mechanisms by which exercise affects neurodegenerative diseases were summed up, including adult neurogenesis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) metabolism.
Overall, there is compelling evidence that exercise intervention is a feasible way of preventing the onset and alleviating the severity of neurodegenerative diseases. These studies highlight the importance of exercise as a complementary approach to the treatment and intervention of neurodegenerative diseases in addition to traditional treatments. More mechanisms on exercise interventions for neurodegenerative diseases, the specification of exercise prescriptions, and differentiated exercise programs should be explored so that they can actually be applied to the clinic.