• Running and doing other aerobic exercises regularly for just six months boosted brain function by 5.7 per cent, according to a study in Neurology.
  • Australian teenager runs record-breaking 200m.
  • Scientists hope the findings could help future research into Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Many runners already know about the mental benefits of running (hello, runner’s high!). Now a recent study has added to the growing body of research on the brain-boosting power of exercise: it found that regular running improves cognitive function and memory as you get older, and that the benefits can be felt in a matter of months.

According to the study, running and doing other aerobic exercises regularly for just six months boosted brain function by 5.7 per cent. These improvements were found regardless of age, and the researchers hope the findings could help in future research into Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The study was done by the University of Calgary and published in the journal Neurology. At the start of it, 206 subjects, aged between 50 and 83 and with an average age of 66, did thinking and memory tests and had ultrasounds to monitor blood flow to their brains. For the next six months they exercised at least four times a week – starting at 20 minutes per day and gradually increasing to 40 minutes per day.

After six months, the participants were tested again. The results showed an improvement of 5.7 per cent in cognitive processes and a 2.4 per cent improvement in verbal fluency, the equivalent to being five years younger. Blood flow to the brain also increased by 2.8 per cent.

Marc Poulin, a professor at the University of Calgary and one of the authors of the study, said: ‘Even if you start an exercise program later in life, the benefit to your brain may be immense. Six months’ worth of vigorous exercise may pump blood to regions of the brain that specifically improve your verbal skills as well as memory and mental sharpness.’

‘Since cognitive abilities would be expected to decrease due to normal ageing, to have these types of changes is exciting.’

The takeaway? While existing runners will already be getting a range of brain benefits from regular exercise, for others it’s never too late to start.