Stronger legs are associated with larger brain volume & slower...
Nicholas Fabiano, MD@NTFabiano
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Jul 18, 2025
~1 min read
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Stronger legs are associated with larger brain volume & slower cognitive decline.
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These findings are from a study in @KargerPublisher which tested whether muscle fitness (measured by leg power) could predict cognitive change in a healthy older population over a 10-year time interval. karger.com/ger/article/62… 2/7
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There is consistent evidence from observational studies of a protective association between levels of physical activity and subsequent cognitive ageing within the healthy population. 3/7
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In this study, there was consistent and strong evidence that increased leg power at baseline was associated with improved cognitive ageing over the following 10 years. 4/7
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In addition, in a discordant twin study, increased leg power within twin pairs was associated with greater grey matter volumes and greater task-related BOLD activation after 12 years. 5/7
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Adjustment for baseline leg power significantly reduced the relationship between grey matter and cognitive change, suggesting that prior physical power and global grey matter volume may be on the same causal pathway affecting cognitive ageing. 6/7
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Overall, interventions targeted to improve leg power in the long term may help reach a universal goal of healthy cognitive ageing. 7/7
