Introduction and Purpose: Poor muscle function and a decline in lean muscle mass are associated with sarcopenia, which in turn is linked to cognitive disorders. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of continuous aerobic exercise on factors related to sarcopenia in skeletal muscle and memory function in elderly rats with Alzheimer's disease.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 aged Wistar rats, with an average age of 18 months and an average weight of 300 grams, were randomly divided into four groups of ten: control, exercise, healthy control, and healthy exercise. The patient group was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease by administering scopolamine intraperitoneally for 14 days. After confirming the induction of Alzheimer's using the novel object recognition test, the exercise group participated in a 6-week aerobic exercise program, which included 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity at an intensity of 65 to 75 percent of maximum oxygen consumption. Data related to the measurement of variables were collected using the ELISA method before and after the injection and training periods. One-way statistical tests and Tukey's post hoc test were used to analyze the results.
Results: After six weeks of continuous aerobic training, there was a significant reduction in GDF15 accumulation in the EDL and soleus muscles of the exercise patient group compared to the control patient group (P=0.001). Additionally, a decrease in myostatin levels was observed in the training patient group compared to the control patient group (P=0.004). Improvements in memory performance (P=0.001) and motor performance (P=0.001) were also noted in the training group compared to the control group.
Discussion and Conclusion: The positive effects of the exercise program on the factors related to sarcopenia examined in this research indicate a trend toward improved memory function, decreased myostatin and GDF15 levels, and overall enhancement of Alzheimer's-related indicators in the exercise group compared to the control group. The benefits of continuous aerobic exercise on the health status of Alzheimer's patients should be emphasized.