Kettinen J, Tikkanen H, Hiltunen M, Murray A, Horn N, Taylor WR, Venojärvi M. Cognitive and biomarker responses in healthy older adults to a 18-hole golf round and different walking types: a randomised cross-over study.
BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2023;
9:e001629. [PMID:
37860153 PMCID:
PMC10582962 DOI:
10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001629]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction
The global burden of age-related cognitive decline is increasing, with the number of people aged 60 and over expected to double by 2050. This study compares the acute effects of age-appropriate cognitively demanding aerobic exercises involving walking, on cognitive functions and exerkine responses such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cathepsin B (CTSB) in older, healthy adults.
Methods/design
Healthy older golfers (n=25, 16 male and 9 female, 69±4 years) were enrolled in a 5-day randomised cross-over study and completed three different exercise trials (18-hole golf round, 6 km Nordic walking, 6 km walking) in a real-life environment, in random order and at a self-selected pace. Differences in cognition (the Trail-Making Test (TMT) AB) and exerkines (BDNF and CTSB) were analysed within groups using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and between groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test.
Results
All exercise types resulted in a significant decrease in the TMT A-test (p<0.05; golf: -4.43±1.5 s, Nordic walking: -4.63±1.6 s, walking: -6.75±2.26 s), where Nordic walking and walking demonstrated a decrease in the TMT B-test (p<0.05; Nordic walking: -9.62±7.2 s, walking: -7.55±3.2 s). In addition, all exercise types produced significant decreases in the TMT AB test scores (p<0.05), and Nordic walking (p=0.035) showed decreases in the TMTB-TMTA-test. There were no immediate postexercise changes in the levels of BDNF or CTSB.
Conclusion
Acute bouts of golf, Nordic walking and walking improved cognitive functions irrespective of exerkines in healthy older adults. In addition, Nordic walking and walking in general enhanced executive functions. No significant effects were seen on the levels of BDNF and CTSB.
Trial registration number
ISRCTN10007294.
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