Researchers at the University of California Queensland Brain Institute have found that high-intensity interval exercise improves brain function in older adults for up to five years. The results of the study are published in the journal Aging and Disease.

The study involved volunteers aged 65-85 years old. At the first stage, the subjects underwent a series of tests to assess cognitive abilities (attention, memory, reaction speed), provided blood samples for laboratory examinations and gave permission for brain scans.

The participants were then divided into three groups and began a six-month exercise program. The first group exercised using the HIIT (high-intensity interval training) system. This is a type of training consisting of short intervals of maximal effort exercise alternated with periods of rest. The second group trained at a moderate intensity on a treadmill, while the third group performed stretching and balance exercises.

At the end of the program, a five-year observation period began for the participants, during which many did not exercise.

When the observation phase ended, the subjects re-took cognitive ability tests and brain scans. It turned out that only high-intensity interval training promoted cognitive improvement that persisted for five years after the exercise sessions ended. According to the scientists, participants in the first group showed structural changes in the hippocampus, the area responsible for learning and memory.