Exercise for nothing?

New research shows that vigorous physical activity may exacerbate the association between air pollution and brain changes, and air pollution itself can weaken the benefits of exercise
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Yimaitong compiles and organizes, please do not reprint without authorization
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 The results of an epidemiological cohort study showed that compared with participants who exercised vigorously for 30 minutes or more per week, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and white matter hyperintensity volume ( The correlation between WMHV) is stronger
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In addition, air pollution seems to offset the beneficial effects of vigorous physical activity on WMHV
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However, the researchers pointed out that the results of the study did not show that participants who participated in physical exercise had worse results than participants who did not participate in physical activities
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 Research Introduction Previous studies have shown that physical exercise is related to the increase in cognitive ability and brain capacity and the decrease in the risk of dementia, while air pollution is related to the decrease in brain capacity, the decline in cognitive ability and the increase in the risk of dementia
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However, the interaction between physical activity and air pollution is not very clear
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 In order to examine the interaction between physical activity and air pollution, the researchers analyzed data from the British Biobank, a large epidemiological cohort with data on neuroimaging, air pollution, and physical activity.
Including more than 500,000 participants aged 40-69
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At baseline, participants provided demographic information based on the questionnaire
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 In addition, the researchers defined strenuous physical activity as 425 milligravities (mg) or higher
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Moderate to vigorous physical activity is defined as 100 mg or more
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 Main research results: ➤The increase in NO2 (β=-0.
04, P=0.
01), PM2.
5 (β=-0.
03, P=0.
02) and PM2.
5 absorbance (β=-0.
03, P=0.
037) and total gray matter Volume (GMV) is negatively correlated
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However, the impact of these pollutants on total white matter volume (WMV) is not significant
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 ➤Strong exercise for 30 minutes or more a week is significantly related to GMV (β=0.
2, P<0.
001) and WMHV (β=0.
23, P<0.
001)
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As the amount of strenuous activity increases from zero, the strength of this association also increases
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 ➤The adverse effects of NO2 and PM2.
5 absorbance on WMHV increase with the increase of vigorous activity
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 ➤Participants who engage in vigorous physical activity for 30 minutes or more a week have the greatest impact on WMHV with NO2 (β=0.
06, P=0.
037) and PM2.
5 absorbance (β=0.
07, P=0.
037)
.

The interaction of other pollutants with sports activities is not significant
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 The first author of the expert comment, Dr.
Furlong, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson, said that the current results show that air pollution has a greater impact on people who engage in strenuous sports activities
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This may be because when people engage in strenuous physical activities, their breathing rate will increase, so the inhaled air pollutant dose may be higher
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It is recommended that people arrange exercise time flexibly and check the air quality index
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If the air quality is not good that day, maybe exercise the next day will be better
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 Yimaitong compiled from: Air Pollution May Neutralize Brain Benefits From Exercise-Medscape-Dec 22, 2021.