Wan Lu, Molina-Hidalgo Cristina, Crisafio Mary E, Grove George, Leckie Regina L, Kamarck Thomas W, Kang Chaeryon, DeCataldo Mia, Marsland Anna L, Muldoon Matthew F, Scudder Mark R, Rasero Javier, Gianaros Peter J, Erickson Kirk I
AdventHealth Research Institute, Neuroscience Institute, Orlando, FL 32084, USA.
College of Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
J Sport Health Sci. 2025 Aug 13:101079. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101079.
Midlife lifestyle factors, including physical activity, are associated with late-life brain health, yet the role of aerobic exercise on structural brain health in early and mid-adulthood remains poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on structural brain age and to explore potential mediators.
In a single-blind, 12-month randomized clinical trial, 130 healthy participants aged 26-58 years were randomized into a moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise group or a usual-care control group. The exercise group attended two supervised 60-min sessions per week in a laboratory setting plus engaged in home-based exercise to achieve 150 min of exercise per week. Brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were assessed at baseline and 12 months. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and completers analyses (including participants who completed post-intervention assessments) were performed.
The 130 participants (67.7% female) had an age of 41.28 ± 9.93) years (mean ± SD). At baseline, higher CRF (peak oxygen uptake, VO) was associated with smaller brain-PAD (β = -0.309, p = 0.012). After the intervention, the exercise group showed a decrease in brain-PAD (estimated mean difference (EMD) = -0.60; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: -1.15 to -0.04; p = 0.034) compared to the control group (EMD = 0.35; 95% CI: -0.21 to 0.92; p = 0.217); time × group interaction (between-group difference [BGD] = -0.95; 95% CI: -1.72 to -0.17; p = 0.019). VO improved in the exercise group (EMD = 1.60; 95% CI: 0.29-2.90; p = 0.017) compared to the control group (EMD = -0.78; 95% CI: -2.17 to 0.60; p = 0.265); time × group interaction (BGD = 2.38; 95% CI: 0.52-4.25; p = 0.015). Body composition, blood pressure, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were unaffected. None of the proposed pathways statistically mediated the effect of exercise on brain-PAD. The results from completers were similar.
Engaging in 12 months of moderate-to-vigorous exercise reduced brain-PAD in early-to-midlife adults. The pathways by which these effects occur remain unknown.
中年生活方式因素，包括体育活动，与晚年大脑健康相关，但有氧运动对成年早期和中期大脑结构健康的作用仍知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨有氧运动对大脑结构年龄的影响，并探索潜在的中介因素。
在一项单盲、为期12个月的随机临床试验中，130名年龄在26 - 58岁的健康参与者被随机分为中度至剧烈强度有氧运动组或常规护理对照组。运动组每周在实验室环境中参加两次由专人指导的60分钟课程，并进行家庭锻炼，以达到每周150分钟的运动量。在基线和12个月时评估脑预测年龄差异（brain-PAD）和心肺适能（CRF）。进行了意向性分析（ITT）和完成者分析（包括完成干预后评估的参与者）。
130名参与者（67.7%为女性）年龄为41.28 ± 9.93岁（均值 ± 标准差）。在基线时，较高的CRF（峰值摄氧量，VO）与较小的brain-PAD相关（β = -0.309，p = 0.012）。干预后，与对照组相比，运动组的brain-PAD有所下降（估计平均差异[EMD] = -0.60；95%置信区间[95%CI]：-1.15至-0.04；p = 0.034），而对照组的EMD为0.35；95%CI：-0.21至0.92；p = 0.217；时间×组间交互作用（组间差异[BGD] = -0.95；95%CI：-1.72至-0.17；p = 0.019）。与对照组相比，运动组的VO有所改善（EMD = 1.60；95%CI：0.29 - 2.90；p = 0.017），而对照组的EMD为-0.78；95%CI：-2.17至0.60；p = 0.265；时间×组间交互作用（BGD = 2.38；95%CI：0.52 - 4.25；p = 0.015）。身体成分、血压和脑源性神经营养因子水平未受影响。所提出的途径均未在统计学上介导运动对brain-PAD的影响。完成者的结果相似。
进行12个月的中度至剧烈运动可降低成年早期至中期人群的brain-PAD。这些影响发生的途径尚不清楚。
