Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that exercising just once or twice a week—known as the “weekend warrior” approach—can significantly reduce the risk of cognitive decline, potentially as effectively as more frequent workouts. This finding could be beneficial for busy individuals.
Identifying risk factors for dementia is crucial, as a five-year delay in its onset could reduce its prevalence by half. Most existing research focuses on high-income countries, prompting this study to use data from the Mexico City Prospective Study, which spanned two survey periods: 1998-2004 and 2015-2019.
The analysis included responses from 10,033 participants, with an average age of 51, who completed both surveys. They were asked about their exercise habits, including frequency and duration.
Participants fell into four groups:
No exercisers
Weekend warriors (exercising once or twice a week)
Regularly active individuals (exercising three or more times a week)
A combined group of weekend warriors and the regularly active.
Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) during the second survey, with a score of 22 or lower indicating mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Out of the respondents, 7,945 reported no exercise, 726 were weekend warriors, and 1,362 were regularly active. Over an average monitoring period of 16 years, 2,400 cases of MCI were identified. MCI prevalence was 26% among non-exercisers, 14% among weekend warriors, and 18.5% among the regularly active.
After adjusting for factors like age, education, smoking, sleep, diet, and alcohol use, weekend warriors were found to be 25% less likely to develop MCI compared to non-exercisers. Regularly active individuals had an 11% lower risk, while the combined group was 16% less likely to develop MCI.
When MCI was defined as an MMSE score of 23 or lower, 2,856 cases were recorded, with prevalence rates of 30% for non-exercisers, 20% for weekend warriors, and 22% for the regularly active. Compared to non-exercisers, weekend warriors were 13% less likely to develop MCI, while the regularly active group and the combined group showed a 12% lower risk. These results were consistent for both genders.
The researchers estimate that if all middle-aged adults engaged in physical activity at least once or twice a week, about 13% of MCI cases could potentially be prevented.
While the study is observational and does not establish direct causation, the researchers note that their findings have limitations, such as the representativeness of the survey sample and the lack of objective measures of physical activity.
Possible explanations for the protective effects of exercise on brain health include increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which supports neuron growth, and improvements in brain volume and memory.
This study is the first of its kind to show that the weekend warrior activity pattern may be as effective as regular exercise in reducing mild dementia risk. The researchers emphasize that these findings could inform policies and practices, especially for busy individuals in Latin America and beyond.
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