ALS News Today Forums Forums Flash Briefings Exercise May Slow Down Loss Of Motor Neurons But The Type Of Activity Might Be Key

  • Exercise May Slow Down Loss Of Motor Neurons But The Type Of Activity Might Be Key

    Posted by ALS News Today Moderator on November 14, 2019 at 8:16 am

    ALS News Today’s forums moderator, Amanda Sifford, discusses how exercise may slow down the loss of motor neurons; however, the type of activity may be key.

    Are you interested in learning more about ALS? If so, please visit alsnewstoday.com/

    What do you think about this news? Listen to this flash briefing episode and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

    Dagmar replied 5 years, 3 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
  • 1 Reply
  • Dagmar

    Member
    November 16, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    Don’t let this study fly under your radar, as it contains good news plus a hint towards what pALS can do right now, to help protect their motor neurons.

    The article itself may initially be confusing, however when reading the actual study, the results become clearer. First, we learn that exercise protects the cell wall of the motor neuron, thus preventing neuron death. In addition, exercise modalities involving small motor neurons show better protection. Let’s unpack this news:

    • There is no controversy regarding the benefits of exercise for pALS. Ten years of published research (on human pALS, not mice) does exist. ALS News Today has this page: https://alsnewstoday.com/als-and-exercise/ and, I’ve written several columns on the topic. For example: https://alsnewstoday.com/2017/07/18/als-and-exercise-webinar-gives-a-resounding-thumbs-up/ And here is the link to the webinar that reviewed 10 years of research: https://www.neals.org/for-people-with-als-caregivers/educational-webinars/exercise-and-als-a-discussion-of-research-and-practical-recommendations
    • Don’t get hung up on the “running vs. swimming” concept. This wasn’t a study comparing exercise modalities, rather “fast vs. slow” neurons. Mice cannot do Tai Chi (slow) or judo (fast); they can only swim, run or hang on a metal rod (used for strength studies!). So, the “running” for mice represented human long-duration, low-intensity modalities such as: biking, dancing, swimming, etc. – which use small motor neurons. The mice who “swam” represented human high-intensity, short-duration modalities such as: sprinting, tennis, judo – – relying on large neurons.
    • This study showed that exercise stimulated the cell walls and prevented motor neuron death. However, exercise could not restore motor neurons lost pre-diagnosis (pre-symptomatic), but it was beneficial for keeping alive what motor neurons we have left — post-diagnosis!

    This is why I am such a proponent of DAILY moderate & varied exercise movements. Our muscles and motor neurons need the constant stimulation to protect from further cell death. Low-intensity exercise remains the preferred choice.

Log in to reply.