Exercise and Parkinson’s disease
Exercise and Parkinson’s disease
“Remind me why you signed up for that senior citizen kickboxing class. I mean, you just turned twenty-six.”
“I told you, Bro. My doctor said, ‘Get regular exercise and fight Parkinson’s’.”
“Dude, I don’t think she meant that you should be fighting against people WITH Parkinson’s. That’s just bad Karma.”
The benefits of regular exercise are well documented for the body and the brain. Brain shrinkage (the worst kind of shrinkage there is) may be prevented or reversed by as little as a half hour a day of aerobic activity. Recent research has shed light on the mechanism by which regular exercise may prevent or mitigate Parkinson’s Disease in particular. It turns out that exercise, in some cases, may alter which segments of DNA (which genes) become activated. Exercise also increases the production of a beneficial brain protein called BDNF.
Scientists have discovered that there are different genetic subtypes of Parkinson’s Disease. This means, in some cases, family history (DNA inheritance from your parents or grandparents) may play a significant role in whether you are destined to develop Parkinson’s disease. About one quarter of Parkinson’s disease patients may have a genetic variant called APOE ε4. In these patients, regular exercise may slow, or even prevent motor and cognitive decline.
In 2021, Korean researchers provided evidence that the APOE ε4 Parkinson’s disease patients may have the power to help themselves. How does that work? Well, it turns out that some parts of your DNA remain silent (the genes that make a certain protein are inactive). The science behind how genes are turned on or turned off is called epigenetics. The scientists reported that in the cohort of APOE ε4 patients regular exercise was able to toggle the on/off switch for the gene that produced Apolipoprotein E (APOE). APOE is a protein involved in the metabolism of fats in the body of mammals and its production or lack thereof may change the trajectory of some neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s). To learn more please read
In a 2020 review, Polish scientists reported that regular exercise increases your brain’s production of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor). BDNF is a member of a family of proteins that is beneficial to the central and peripheral nervous system. By supporting the growth and maturation of new nerve cells, BDNF is thought to promote brain health, and higher levels of it correlate with improved cognitive performance. BDNF enhances the survival of dopaminergic neurons, improves dopaminergic neurotransmission and motor performance. The effects were so strong that the doctors concluded that exercise may be considered an adjunct in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. If you’d like to learn more please read
If you’d like to learn more about the latest discoveries in Parkinson’s disease, please check out my book, available for pre-order https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/The-Mind-Unlocked/