Affiliations: [a] Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| [b] Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
| [c] Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX, USA
| [d] Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Murat Karabulut, PhD, FACSM, CSCS, CEP, Department of Health and Human Performance, BVOTS 208, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA. Tel.: +1 956 882 7236; E-mail: Murat.karabulut@utrgv.edu.
Abstract: Background:Physical activity (PA) has emerged as a promising approach to delay Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, but the optimal intensity of PA to improve cognitive health remains unknown. Objective:To evaluate the association between duration and intensity of PA and cognitive domains (executive function, processing speed, and memory) in aging Americans. Methods:Linear regressions in hierarchical blocks for variable adjustment and the size of effect (η2) were analyzed by using the data of 2,377 adults (age = 69.3±6.7 years) from the NHANES 2011–2014. Results:Participants with 3–6 h/week of vigorous- and > 1 h/week of moderate-intensity PA scored significantly higher in executive function and processing speed domains of cognition compared to inactive peers (η2 = 0.005 & 0.007 respectively, p < 0.05). After adjustment, the beneficial effects of 1–3 h /week of vigorous-intensity PA became trivial for delayed recall memory domain test scores (β= 0.33; 95% CI: –0.01,0.67; η2 = 0.002; p = 0.56). There was no linear dose-response relationship between the cognitive test scores and weekly moderate-intensity of PA. Interestingly, higher handgrip strength and higher late-life body mass index were associated with a higher performance across all cognitive domains. Conclusion:Our study supports habitual PA with superior cognition health in some but not all domains among older adults. Furthermore, increased muscle strength and higher late-life adiposity may also impact cognition.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, body mass index, cognitive function, executive function, handgrip strength, physical activity
