How Regular Aerobic Exercise Preserves Brain Youth in Middle Age

Researchers from AdventHealth Research Institute and the University of Pittsburgh (USA) conducted a randomized clinical trial involving 130 adults aged 26 to 58 who were relatively healthy but physically inactive before the study.

Half of the participants performed moderate- to high-intensity aerobic exercise for a total of about 150 minutes per week over 12 months, while the control group maintained their usual sedentary lifestyle.

To assess the impact on the brain, scientists used a measure called brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD) — a biomarker based on MRI scans that reflects the difference between a person’s chronological age and how “old” their brain appears on imaging. A lower brain-PAD indicates that the brain looks younger than the actual age.

The results showed that participants who engaged in regular aerobic exercise reduced their brain-PAD by approximately 0.60 years after one year of training, whereas the control group’s marker slightly increased by around 0.35 years over the same period. The difference between groups was nearly 0.95 years in favor of physical activity, suggesting that regular exercise could make the brain appear almost one year younger compared to those who did not exercise.

Additionally, participants in the aerobic group significantly improved their physical fitness — maximal oxygen uptake (a measure of aerobic capacity) increased, while it slightly declined in the control group. This indicates that improvements in cardiovascular and respiratory function are linked to a “younger” brain.

The study did not find significant changes in body composition, blood pressure, or levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), but even without these changes, the improvement in brain-PAD highlights the potential role of regular aerobic exercise in maintaining brain health in middle age.

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