Study Reveals Lifting Weights May Slow Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

A new study has found that apart from gains in strength and muscle mass and reduction in body fat, weight training protected the brains of older people against dementia. The results were published in the journal GeroScience.

The study involved 44 people with mild cognitive impairment – an intermediate clinical condition between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease in which cognitive decline is greater than expected for age, indicating a higher risk of dementia. The results showed that strength training not only improved memory performance but also altered brain anatomy.

After six months of twice-weekly weight training, the participants showed protection against atrophy in the hippocampus and precuneus – brain areas associated with Alzheimer’s disease – as well as improvements in parameters that reflect the health of neurons (white matter integrity).

“We already knew that there would be physical improvement. Cognitive improvement was also imagined, but we wanted to see the effect of weight training on the brains of older people with mild cognitive impairment. The study showed that, fortunately, weight training is a strong ally against dementia, even for people who are already at high risk of developing it,” says Isadora Ribeiro, a FAPESP doctoral fellowship recipient at UNICAMP’s School of Medical Sciences (FCM) and first author of the article.

According to the researchers, weight training can protect the brain against dementia on two fronts: by stimulating the production of neural growth factor (an important protein for the growth, maintenance and survival of neurons) and by promoting global disinflammation in the body.

Reference: Ribeiro, I.C., Teixeira, C.V.L., de Resende, T.J.R. et al. Resistance training protects the hippocampus and precuneus against atrophy and benefits white matter integrity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. GeroScience (2025).