Beginning of November’s Benchmark Challenge
“Erin“
Five rounds for time of:
40 pound Dumbbells split clean, 15 reps
21 Pull-ups
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Older people with stronger muscles are at reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to their weaker peers, a new study shows.
Dr. Patricia A. Boyle of Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago and her colleagues found that the greater a person’s muscle strength, the lower their likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s over a four-year period. The same was true for the loss of mental function that often precedes full-blown Alzheimer’s.
Studies have linked grip strength to Alzheimer’s, while a person’s weight and level of physical activity also influence risk of the disease. To date, however, no one has studied whether muscle strength in and of itself might play a role in dementia risk, Boyle and her team note in November’s Annals of Neurology.
“These findings support the link between physical health and cognition in aging and the importance of maintaining good physical function and strength,” Boyle told Reuters Health via E-mail.
The researchers measured the strength of nine muscle groups in the arms and legs of 970 dementia-free men and women 54 to 100 years old (their average age was around 80). They also tested the strength of study participants’ breathing muscles.
During follow-up, which lasted about four years, 138 people developed Alzheimer’s. These individuals were older and had worse mental function than the rest of the study participants. They also were weaker.
Unfortunately the study didn’t delve further into whether strength training held any benefits, or if this study only applies to people like Christine who are just beatly strong nautrally…