Water-Based Exercise and Resistance Training Improve Cognition in Older Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Physical exercise has been associated with maintenance of physical abilities and the reduction of age-related cognitive decline, and is considered both a low-cost primary prevention strategy and a non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive dysfunction in older people. However, the contribution of each type of physical exercise to the cognitive health of the elderly population has not yet been fully investigated. Objective: This study investigated the possible influences of water-based and resistance training exercises on the cognitive performance of healthy older adults in automated tests, and investigated which test(s) would be the most effective indicator of differences in aging cognitive performance. Methods: Three groups of community-dwelling healthy older adults: water-based exercise group, resistance training group and sedentary group, were assessed using an automated set of neuropsychological tests (CANTAB) and tests to assess functional exercise capacity. Results were compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson linear correlation. Results: The water-based exercise group had the best functional exercise capacity scores and the best performance in the reaction time evaluation (response and movement latencies). The resistance training group had less movement latency than the sedentary group. Functional mobility was positively correlated with response and movement latency. Conclusions: Taken together our findings show that physical exercise contributes to the preservation of cognitive function in healthy older adults and that water-based exercise has better results than resistance training in terms of reaction time. Moreover, the changes related to reaction time function were detected before the changes in working memory functions, sustained attention and learning in the sedentary participants, suggesting that this variable could be an early sensitive indicator of subtle cognitive changes associated with aging. Level of Evidence II; Retrospective study.

An Overview on Cognitive Function Enhancement through Physical Exercises

“…Similar results of cognitive enhancements were found in both groups in comparison to the control group, except for the reaction time. The water-based exercise group had better results in that domain [46].…”

Efeitos do exercício físico na cognição de idosos: Uma revisão sistemática

“…Estudos que investigaram especificamente uma única capacidade ou função cognitiva, relacionada ao exercício físico, mostraram resultados positivos para a memória visual, queixas de memória subjetiva, funções executivas 22 , habilidades de memória, praxe motora, organização vasomotora, operações de pensamento, atenção, concentração e raciocínio 21 . O estudo de Bento--Torres et al 20 salienta que as alterações em razão do tempo de reação foram detectadas antes das alterações nas funções da memória de trabalho, atenção sustentada e aprendizado nos idosos sedentários, podendo ser um indicador sensível precoce de sutis alterações cognitivas associadas ao envelhecimento.…”

Análise comparativa do sono em idosos praticantes de Pilates e hidroginástica: um estudo transversal

“…O exercício físico contribui para a preservação da função cognitiva em idosos saudáveis, incluindo-se a hidroginástica, sendo observados melhora da capacidade funcional em idosos praticantes, melhora das funções de memória e atenção, bem como da mobilidade funcional desses indivíduos [20]. Entretanto, não existem diferenças entre a capacidade funcional e cognitiva dos idosos praticantes de hidroginástica quando comparado a outras modalidades.…”