How can our brains be trained by running?

By Pharrell Williams

如果没有看这篇文章，可能所有的人都会认为跑步仅可以锻炼自己的体力，增强腿部力量，并且可以帮助减肥等。跑步能锻炼大脑，这个观点儿有点离奇。为了满足你的好奇心，来看看吧！

Scientists studying Alzheimer's have found that staying moderately active can lead to healthier brain functions in those at risk of developing the disease，potentially giving us another clue how to beat the condition.

In particular the research looked at glucose metabolism,the process that gives brain cells the right amount of fuel，and that also happens to break down with the onset of Alzheimer's.

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that study participants who spent more than an hour per day taking part in moderate physical exercise showed greater levels and healthier levels of glucose metabolism than those who didn't.

“This study has implications for guiding exercise‘prescriptions’that could help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease”， says one of the team，Ryan Dougherty.

“While many people become discouraged about Alzheimer’s disease because they feel there’s little they can do to protect against it，these results suggest that engaging in moderate physical activity may slow down the progression of the disease.”

The study used accelerometers to measure a week’s worth of physical activity for 93 middle-aged volunteers,all at high genetic risk of Alzheimer’s but so far showing no cognitive signs of the disease.

Physical activity was split into light（the equivalent of walking slowly）,moderate （a brisk walk）， and vigorous （a strenuous run).This collected data was then compared against glucose metabolism levels in the brain.

研究阿兹海默症的科学家发现，适度运动有助于让容易患阿兹海默症的人群大脑功能更加健全，为战胜该疾病又提供了一个潜在的思路。

这一研究特别关注了葡萄糖代谢过程，葡萄糖代谢为大脑细胞提供适量营养，会随着阿兹海默症的发作而瓦解。

威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的科学家发现，研究参与者如果每天进行超过一个小时的适量运动，相比没有进行运动的研究参与者，会显示出更高、更健康的葡萄糖代谢水平。

“这项研究有助于指导运动‘处方’，保护大脑免受阿兹海默症的影响”，研究团队里的Ryan Dougherty说道。

“很多人对于阿兹海默症感到绝望，因为他们觉得自己无法避免患上这种病，但是研究结果表明，适度运动或许能减缓该疾病的发生。”

该研究使用加速计测量93名中年志愿者一周的运动量，这些志愿者从家族遗传来看都有患上阿兹海默症的风险，不过尚未显示出患病的体征。

身体运动分为轻度(相当于慢慢行走)、适度(轻快步行)和剧烈(剧烈跑步)。收集到的数据跟大脑中的葡萄糖代谢水平进行比较。

Using a special imaging technique called18F- fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography(FDG-PET)to trace glucose metabolism,the researchers found healthier patterns in moderately active patients in all areas of the brain under observation.

The link is enough for the researchers to suggest physical exercise is an “important contributor” to brain health for those at risk of Alzheimer’s,though they also stress that further research is required to establish how staying active might be connected to the chances of developing Alzheimer’s later in life.

Plenty of previous studies have found associations between exercise and improved memory， and there’s a growing pile of evidence that exercise boosts brain power as well as other parts of the body.Now we just need to figure out how Alzheimer’s fits into all this.

A small 2016 study found that exercise could be one factor in reversing the effects of Alzheimer’s， alongside changes to diet and sleep habits,and a personalised program of vitamins and other drugs.

Everyday exercises such as gardening or walking are already recommended for those suffering from dementia—as well as just about everyone else—but scientists are still trying to pin down the details.

According to one of the researchers,Ozioma Okonkwo,ongoing research continues to take a closer look at how exercise could perhaps protect the brain from the onset of Alzheimer’s off the back of this new study.

“Seeing a quantifiable connection between moderate physical activity and brain health is an exciting first step” ，he says.

研究人员采用被称为是18F-氟脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射断层扫描(FDG-PET)的特殊成像技术来追踪葡萄糖代谢活动，结果在观察适度运动患者的所有大脑区域后发现了更健康的模式。

这一联系足以让研究人员建议，体育锻炼对于那些可能患上阿兹海默症的人来说，是保持健康大脑的“重要贡献者”，尽管他们强调，还需要进一步研究来确定保持运动与日后患上阿兹海默症的几率的联系。

此前许多研究已经发现运动和改善记忆之间存在关联，而且越来越多证据表明，运动能够提升脑力，改善身体其他部位的机能。现在我们只需要搞清楚这一套如何适用于阿兹海默症。

2016年的一项小研究发现，运动可能是扭转阿兹海默症影响的一个因素，其他因素包括饮食和睡眠习惯上的变化，以及维生素和其他药物的个性化方案。

不管你是否患有痴呆症的人，都建议你参加日常锻炼，比如园艺或者是步行。不过，科学家仍在努力弄清其中的细节。

据研究人员Ozioma Okonkwo介绍，在这项新研究基础上，当前研究继续深入探索运动可能如何保护大脑免受阿兹海默症的影响。

他说：“看到适度运动和大脑健康之间的量化联系是让人兴奋的第一步。”