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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2017)
6 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017 J OEL F UHRMAN , MD Build muscle to build a better brain Exercising to improve mus- cle strength is not only good for keeping your body in shape, it’s good for the brain and may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. As part of Australia’s Alzheimer’s research project, The Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) was conducted to determine whether strength training and/or computer brain training exercises could help people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease improve their brain function and minimize that risk. Although previous research has shown benefits of aerobic exercise (such as walking, bik- ing or jogging) for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, there has been much less research on resistance (strength) exercise. The SMART trial studied 100 participants between the ages of 55 and 86 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI involves memory and thinking problems, but does not affect the normal activities of everyday life. However, MCI may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s dis- ease, a pre-dementia condition. Someone with MCI has about a 30 percent chance of progressing to Alzheimer’s over the course of 10 years. The SMART trial is part of the ongoing search for treatments that could restore and maintain brain function in people with MCI, to reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s dis- ease. To directly compare brain training, muscle strength train- ing and a combination of both, they divided participants into four groups: • High-intensity progressive resistance exercise plus com- puterized cognitive training • High-intensity progressive resistance exercise plus place- bo cognitive training (watching educational videos) • Computerized cognitive training plus placebo exercise (mild activity designed not to increase strength — stretching and seated calisthenics) • Placebo exercise plus placebo cognitive training The resistance exercise rou- tine was high in intensity (about 80-90 percent of maxi- mum strength) and progressive, meaning the weight was adjust- ed over time as participants’ strength increased. Cognitive training consisted of computer exercises aimed to improve memory, executive function, attention and speed of information processing. Participants completed their assigned activities twice a week. Strength training was linked to better cognitive scores. At the end of the six-month trial, there was evidence that the resistance training groups had improved in a variety of cogni- tive scores. Almost half of the participants in the resistance training groups improved their cognitive scores enough to be in the normal range (as opposed to the MCI range). The computerized cognitive training groups showed an improvement in memory (but not other cognitive scores) at the end of the trial. When the participants were tested again, FRAA asks poets to share ‘Love Gone Wrong’ Florence Regional Arts Alliance (FRAA) will be host- ing the second annual “Love Gone Wrong” Poetry/Song Fest on Saturday, Feb. 18, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the FRAA Art Center, 120 Maple St. in Old Town. Since this is a satirical look at Valentine’s Day, humorous entries are encouraged, but all types and styles of original poems or songs are welcome — as long as they are within the 3-minute time limit. This contest is judged by the audience members with $100 cash as the first prize, and gift certificates to local restaurants and businesses for second and third prizes. Tickets are $10 and benefit FRAA’s Big Wave Poetry Festival in May. Tickets and sign up sheet is available at the FRAA Art Center in Florence, or send a fee and request to perform to FRAA, P.O. Box 305, Florence, OR 97439. More information is at www .FRAAOregon .org. Let me pamper you! Make your appointment now for a pedicure! The Pink Parlor Salon Think Pink-Be Pink Next door to Oregon Coast Tatoo 1379 Rhododendrom Drive • R ESIDENTIAL • L AND • C OMMERCIAL • P ROPERTY M ANAGEMENT Siuslaw News + JIM HOBERG Broker/Owner www.shoppelocal.biz 541-999-5678 541-902-5158 Jim Hoberg is a Florence native, and has been working in Real Estate since 1989. He has served as a Principal Broker for 25 years, and is the “founding father” of West Coast Real Estate Services, Inc. He has obtained several designations that require continuing education, which keeps him on the cutting edge of the industry and he is constantly looking for ways to expand his areas of expertise. Jim enjoys helping people fi nd solutions to their real estate needs and discovering why Florence is such a great place to live. 1870 H WY . 126, S UITE A PO B OX 3040 F LORENCE , OR F AX 541-997-7654 541-997-7653 VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW . JIMHOBERG . COM a year after the trial had ended, those in the resistance training groups had held on to their cog- nitive improvements. The improvement in cogni- tive scores in the resistance trained individuals was backed up by MRIs showing changes in the brain. The MRIs con- firmed an increase in thickness in a region of the brain called the posterior cingulate cortex. This is an important finding because loss of gray matter in this region is a marker of Alzheimer’s disease. Muscle strength gains corre- lated with improvements in cognitive function. The resist- ance training groups increased upper body, lower body, and whole body strength, and aero- bic capacity. The amount of strength gain — lower body strength in par- ticular — correlated to the amount of cognitive gain; the stronger the participants got, the more their brain function improved. How does strength training work in the brain? Future research will be need- ed to determine how resistance exercise accomplishes this improvement in brain function. Aerobic exercise improves blood flow in the brain, leading to more efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients. It also promotes the produc- tion of brain-healthy molecules such as brain-derived neu- rotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports growth of new brain cells, plus survival, repair, and enhanced connec- tivity between brain cells. Resistance exercise may work similarly. Improvements in inflammation and insulin sensitivity are probably also involved. In addition, increasing mus- cle strength may prevent an excessive drop in IGF-1 in older people. Of course, high IGF-1 (insulin-like growth fac- tor 1) is undesirable, linked to cancer and premature death. However, in the elderly, IGF-1 may become too low, and this negatively affects brain func- tion. In addition to brain function, resistance training has the ben- efit of increasing muscle mass and strength, which helps to prevent bone loss, frailty and falls. Strength training has an advantage over aerobic exer- cise for older adults as it can be done seated. In addition, it is more acces- sible for people with conditions such as osteoarthritis that make walking and other aerobic activity difficult. Plus, resistance training can improve aerobic fitness. Even once brain function had started to decline, this strength exer- cise intervention made a differ- ence. Eating a Nutritarian diet is the most important thing a per- son can do to delay aging, live long and prevent dementia, but we also know that being fit, strong, and active is also important and effective for staying healthy as we push the envelope of human longevity. Dr. Fuhrman is a New York Times best-selling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutri- tional medicine. Do your part and volunteer today to help support these local non-proft organizations in our community! Volunteer•Get involved•Donate Florence Food Share Ask us about volunteer opportunities. 2190 Spruce Street • P.O.Box 2514 Florence, Oregon 97439 (541) 997-9110 info@fl orencefoodshare.org Food Backpack for Kids Together, No Child Will Go Hungry Your tax deductible donations helped us feed 79 Florence/ Mapleton area children in January. Mail donations to: PO Box 3347 Florence, OR 97439. Call 541-997-2497 for more information. Meals on Wheels and Cafe 60 Meals on Wheels are available to people over the age of 60 who cannot get out much due to illness or advanced age and who are not eating properly, regardless of income. Cafe 60 is available for those who prefer to make new friends in a dining room setting. 1570 Kingwood PO Box 2313, Florence 541-997-5673 laneseniormeals.org Peace Harbor Volunteers Join the Peace Harbor Hospital Volunteers, you will fi nd an area of interest in a caring organization. 400 9th Street, Florence 541-997-8412 ext. 209 Us Too Florence Saving men one PSA test at a time. “Someone to talk to...who understands!” 541-997-6626 maribob@oregonfast.net www.ustoofl orence.org To include your organization in this directory, please call us @ 541-997-3441
