A new review led by VU researcher Dr. James Broatch highlights the potential role of exercise in supporting the brain's glymphatic system — a vital waste-clearance pathway that is most active during sleep. This system plays an essential role in maintaining brain health and becomes increasingly important with ageing.

Although the benefits of exercise for healthy ageing are well established, the mechanisms through which physical activity protects the brain are still being explored. This is particularly significant given that more than 10 million people worldwide are diagnosed with dementia each year, with no cure currently available.

The peer-reviewed study, Exercise as a Regulator of Glymphatic Function, published in Trends in Neurosciences, reviewed findings from both animal and human studies examining the glymphatic system. The analysis found that exercise may enhance several physiological processes involved in brain waste clearance, including lowering blood pressure and vascular stiffness, improving neuronal activity, reducing brain inflammation, decreasing resting norepinephrine levels, and improving sleep quality, particularly deep sleep and slow-wave activity that support glymphatic function.

Dr. Broatch noted that these findings strengthen the growing evidence linking regular exercise with brain protection and healthy cognitive ageing.

He explained that the brain relies on opportunities to clear waste products that accumulate throughout the day, as the build-up of these substances can become increasingly harmful with age. Since sleep is essential for this cleaning process, and quality sleep often becomes more difficult to achieve in older age, exercise may offer a valuable way to support this natural system.

While additional research is needed to determine the most effective types and amounts of exercise, particularly for individuals already experiencing cognitive decline or neurological disease, the findings reinforce the importance of regular physical activity.

According to Dr. Broatch, consistent movement — especially activities that elevate heart rate — benefits nearly every aspect of health, and establishing these habits earlier in life may contribute to better brain health and resilience in later years.

Source: https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/how-does-exercise-keep-our-brains-healthy-as-we-age