I climb for many reasons – exercise, being outdoors, challenge but there is another reason that hits close to home for me.
According to a recent study published in Neurology and covered in the Consumer Reports Blog, it may stave of brain shrinkage which has been linked to memory problems as we age. From the report:
For the study, 299 dementia-free seniors reported the number of blocks they walked in one week. The total number of blocks walked over a one-week period ranged from 0 to 300. The walkers were given brain scans nine years later to measure brain size, and then four years after that they were tested for signs of cognitive decline. Researchers found that those who walked at least 72 blocks, or roughly six miles, had greater gray matter volume than those who didn’t walk as much, and they cut their risk of developing memory problems in half.
So next time you forget where you put the car keys, take a walk!
Climb On!
Alan
3 thoughts on “Another Reason to Climb”
Alan:
That’s an interesting study; however it might be possible that the benefits were associated with walking and general exercise and might be outweighed by the negatives of climbing at high altitudes.
I seem to recall an article in Outside a few months back, where brain scans of moderate – to – high altitude climbers (before and after Kilimanjaro, for example) showed widening of the spaces in the brain; leading to some cognitive impairment. The study admitted further research was warranted; however there definitely was evidence of an adverse impact of high altitude on brain function. Whether the effects were permanent and the degree of damage caused, would need further study. In addition, the study’s authors also suggested that perhaps the rate of ascent also played a role in how much damage the brain suffered.
Thus far my mental faculties still seem to be intact (although my wife might disagree); although I’ve never been above 23,000 feet.
Thanks for all the information and work you put into this site. It’s truly both enjoyable and informative.
Hi Greg, you are correct that several studies have shown measurable brain shrinkage after exposure to high altitude. The most famous was of Ed Viesturs after an Everest climb by Peter Hackett. From Nova:
My comment on this study is for folks to stay active, not necessarily climb Everest 🙂 Thanks for the kind words and comment.
Great post Alan – it was a great “walk” up Longs Peak yesterday. Have to get the Nav back out sometime!
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