It's well-known that any physical activity is beneficial for the brain. But fitting regular exercise into a busy work schedule can be challenging.
It's long been known that the simplest way to increase your activity level is so-called “active transportation,” which means walking or cycling instead of using public transportation. Ditching the car, bus, or even train in favor of walking or cycling brings significant benefits not only to your heart and body, but also to your brain health.
However, it is also known that the individual benefits of active mobility may vary depending on a person's genetic predisposition to dementia. To better understand this interaction, UK scientists conducted a large-scale study analyzing data from nearly 480,000 participants from the UK Biobank database, who were followed for over 13 years. This study assessed not only the modes of transportation used by the participants in their daily lives but also changes in brain structure and the presence of genetic factors associated with dementia risk.
Participants were divided into groups depending on their chosen mode of transportation:
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inactive – those who used mainly a private car or public transport,
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pedestrians – those who preferred to walk,
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cyclists – those who traveled primarily by bicycle,
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Combinators are participants who combined different types of transport without any particular type being dominant.
The researchers also analyzed MRI data from the participants' brains, hearts, and abdomens, and genetic analysis revealed the presence or absence of the APOE ε4 gene variant, which is known to be associated with an increased risk of dementia.
The results were quite revealing. During the observation period, 1.8% of participants were diagnosed with dementia. Those who primarily rode bicycles or combined cycling with other modes of transportation had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia and a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than those who did not. Surprisingly, regular walking, on the contrary, was associated with a slightly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease—14%.
MRI scans showed that cycling was associated with a slight increase in gray matter volume in certain areas of the brain, including the hippocampus, a key area responsible for memory. Walking, on the other hand, was associated with smaller gray and white matter volumes. It's important to emphasize that this doesn't mean walking has a negative impact on the brain, but rather highlights the differences in the effects of different types of activity on the brain.
By ditching the car or public transport on our way to work in favor of cycling, we benefit our brains.
Interestingly, genetic factors did not influence the association between transportation mode and the risk of early-onset dementia or Alzheimer's disease. However, in the case of late-onset dementia, the APOE ε4 gene did appear to be significant: people without a genetic predisposition benefited more from cycling than those carrying the gene.
The study has limitations—the participants self-reported their transportation patterns, and early dementia, fortunately, remains rare. However, the findings remain important: even simply increasing physical activity in daily life can be a significant step toward improving brain health, especially when combined with other healthy habits such as a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and social activity.