Can menopausal status moderate the effects of aerobic exercise on executive functions? evidence from a randomized controlled trial
Sharon Sanz Simon, Maya Gal, Seonjoo Lee, Marcella D. Walker, Michal Schnaider Beeri, Gloria Bachmann, Vincenzo Lauriola, Richard Sloan, Yaakov Stern, Yunglin GazesBackground
Physical exercise is widely recognized for its cognitive benefits; however, the effect of menopausal status in modulating the cognitive effects of exercise is not definitively established.
Objective
To examine the cognitive benefits of two 6-month physical exercise programs in cognitively healthy older women across adulthood, and whether menopause status moderates these benefits.
Methods
In a post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial, 93 cognitively healthy women (aged 20–67; 43% at post-menopause) were assigned to either aerobic exercise (AE) or stretching/toning (ST) 4 days a week for six months. Neuropsychological assessment, cardiorespiratory exercise test, and blood draw were performed at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months. Linear mixed-effects regression models assessed whether menopausal status moderated the impact of exercise on executive functions and processing speed.
Results
Seventy-six participants (81.7%) completed the intervention. A time-by-group-by-menopause interaction emerged after 3 months (β = −0.89;
Conclusions
Our results provide novel evidence that AE improves cognition with pronounced executive functions benefits in post-menopausal women, a population at higher risk for dementia. Since women are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to men, these findings support AE as a relevant strategy to promote women's brain health. Although this is a secondary analysis, it may inform future exercise trials targeting women.