レジスタンストレーニングと脳の可塑性

レジスタンストレーニングと脳の可塑性をみたRCT論文を紹介します。

Teresa Liu-Ambrose et al: Resistance training and functional plasticity of the aging brain: a 12-month randomized controlled trial Neurobiology of Aging Article in Press.

有酸素運動では高齢者の脳の可塑性を促進するという研究結果がすでに出ていますが、レジスタンストレーニングではあまり出ていませんでした。そこで12ヶ月間、週2回のレジスタンストレーニングが脳の可塑性を変化させるかを調べました。

その結果、週2回レジスタンストレーニングを行った場合には脳の可塑性が改善しましたが、週1回では改善しないという結果でした。有酸素運動と同様に、脳の可塑性に有効な可能性があります。

週2回以上のレジスタンストレーニングが必要というのは、筋力・筋肉量の改善でも同様です。頻度は週2-3回以上でなければいけないのでしょう。また、いいかげんな脳トレよりはしっかり運動したほうが、脳にもよい可能性があります。

Abstract
Maintaining functional plasticity of the cortex is essential for healthy aging and aerobic exercise may be an effective behavioral intervention to promote functional plasticity among seniors. Whether resistance training has similar benefits on functional plasticity in seniors has received little investigation. Here we show that 12 months of twice-weekly resistance training led to functional changes in 2 regions of cortex previously associated with response inhibition processes—the anterior portion of the left middle temporal gyrus and the left anterior insula extending into lateral orbital frontal cortex—in community-dwelling senior women. These hemodynamic effects co-occurred with improved task performance. Our data suggest that resistance training improved flanker task performance in 2 ways: (1) an increased engagement of response inhibition processes when needed; and (2) a decreased tendency to prepare response inhibition as a default state. However, we highlight that this effect of resistance training was only observed among those who trained twice weekly; participants of the once-weekly resistance training did not demonstrate comparable response profiles, both in behavioral performance and hemodynamic activity in cortex. In sum, our findings suggest that twice-weekly resistance training in seniors can positively impact functional plasticity of response inhibition processes in cortex, and that it does so in a manner that complements the effects on selective attention that have previously been ascribed to aerobic exercise in seniors.