The effect of exercise on brain function in depression has been identified

Researchers analyzed data from more than 50,000 adults about 60 years old from the Mass General Brigham Biobank, according to a study published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

According to CNN, the study analyzed data from surveys of participants about their physical activity, imaging of their brains to track stress-related activity, and digital recordings of cardiovascular events.

“People who exercised more showed a gradual decrease in stress-related brain signals,” said lead study author Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

“We found positive associations in that exercise appears to reduce the risk of heart disease in part by reducing stress-related signaling,” he added.

According to Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular disease prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, everyone should pay attention to research that shows improvements with lifestyle changes. Freeman did not take part in this study, CNN notes.

“They are incredibly cost-effective, the magnitude of improvement is astounding—often better than many drugs—and we need to add these tools to our arsenal for ready use,” he said.

Tavakol and his team also wanted to see whether people with more stress-related brain signals would benefit more from exercise, he said.

“Surprisingly, we also found a more than two-fold increase in the benefits of exercise among people with depression compared to people with no or no history of depression,” Tavakol said.

He added that the relationship between the amount of exercise and reduction in cardiovascular risk also varied depending on whether a person had a history of depression.

In people without a history of depression, the effect of exercise in reducing cardiovascular disease peaked after about 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. But for people with depression, the effect persisted as time spent with them increased, Tavakol says.

These benefits complement the psychological benefits that researchers already know exercise provides, he added.

“We know that depression is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is also one of the most common stress-related conditions,” said study co-author Dr. Carmel Choi, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. “While some people may be more susceptible to stress and its health effects, we find that exercise can also benefit them more and reduce stress levels. Which is encouraging.”

According to Tavakola, exercise reduces stress signals and increases signals from the prefrontal cortex.

“Both are attractive changes in the brain,” he said.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for executive functions, which are the cognitive processes that control behavior, explains Tavakol.

And stress signals in the brain are associated with things like inflammation, increased sympathetic nervous system activity, increased blood pressure and diseases that cause arteries to thicken or harden, he added.

According to Dr. Tavakola, exercise, in particular, reduces the risk of heart disease by reducing stress signals.

However, these results are just associations. Because the researchers observed participants rather than conducting a randomized control trial, they can’t say with certainty what exercise caused the weight loss or what mechanisms underlie it, he said.

According to Freeman, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to do good exercise, and this can help you get ahead in that direction.

“It turns out that humans were designed to move, and when we do that, especially when we’re outside and among trees, there’s evidence that all of this has a very significant effect on stress relief.”

Freeman recommends checking with your doctor first and trying to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day, no matter what the activity is.

“If you don’t like walking, biking, swimming or anything else, don’t do it. But find a way to do exercise that you actually enjoy,” he said.

Just make sure you challenge yourself no matter what your fitness level, Freeman added. If you can speak in full sentences during a workout, it might be time to make it harder, he said.