As we age, most of us tend to get a little fuzzy in the head. We become more forgetful and easily confused. The unluckiest develop Alzheimer’s or dementia.
But is it inevitable?
Dr. Tommy Wood doesn’t think so.
“I believe age-related cognitive decline and dementia are largely preventable,” says Wood, an assistant professor at the University of Washington specializing in neuroscience and brain health.
In this talk given at the CrossFit for Health Summit on Feb. 3, 2024, in Austin, Texas, Wood presents evidence for the “demand-driven theory of age-related cognitive decline and dementia.”
The brain, he says, is just like muscle in its requirements for optimal functioning: it needs proper nutrition and rest, but it also needs to do work.
“If you don’t lift weights, then you don’t get jacked,” he says. “With the brain, and most tissues in the body, their structure and function is directly proportional to the demand that you place on them.”
CrossFit, Wood says — with its unique combination of varied physical and mental demands in a social environment — is a boon for fighting age-related cognitive decline.
“Is it that our function declines over time? Or is it that we just use our brains less over time and then function follows?” he asks. “And … can we change this trajectory with something like CrossFit? I think we can.”
CHAPTERS
0:00-1:46 – Introduction and overview.
1:48-3:26 – The trajectory of cognitive decline.
3:38-6:01 – Risk factors for cognitive decline.
6:02-8:21 – Preventing cognitive decline: the demand-driven theory of age-related cognitive decline and dementia (or why your brain is like your biceps).
8:22-9:42 – For increased cognitive function, challenge your brain.
9:45-11:25 – Risk and lifestyle factors that affect cognitive function.
11:28-14:07 – Like the muscles, the brain is trainable and adaptive.
14:09-15:29 – To maintain function, the brain requires ongoing stimulation.
15:38-18:18 – Reduced glucose intake in the brain: a problem of availability or demand?
18:20-19:03 – Three critical variables to improve the trajectory of cognitive function.
19:05-20:30 – Typical cognitive demand across a lifespan.
20:40-21:39 – Can CrossFit change the trajectory of cognitive decline?
21:40-26:14 – The connections between exercise, cognitive function, and emotional resilience.
26:17-29:34 – Coordinative vs. unimodal exercise and cognitive function.
29:36-31:39 – Aerobic fitness and brain plasticity.
31:14-33:53 – Changes in the brain caused by social isolation.
33:55-37:04 – How CrossFit supports long-term cognitive function and prevents decline.
LECTURE SERIES PLAYLIST
Episode 1: Own Your Health, With Nicole Carroll
Episode 2: Exercise for Longevity and Healthspan, With Dr. Rhonda Patrick
Episode 3: CrossFit for Health: Muscle-centric Medicine, With Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Episode 4: From Obesity to Opioids, How CrossFit Can Save the World, With Dr. Tom McCoy
Episode 5: Simple, Not Easy, Ways To Improve Your Health
Episode 6: Training for Fitness vs. Performance
Episode 7: The Role of Lifestyle in Chronic Disease, With Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng
Episode 8: Metabolic Health Is Mental Health, With Dr. Chris Palmer
Episode 9: The Relationship Between Connection, CrossFit, and Health
Episode 10: Future-Proof Your Brain, With Dr. Tommy Wood
About the CrossFit for Health Summit Spring Lunchtime Series
On Feb. 3, 2024, hundreds of CrossFit affiliate owners, coaches, and healthcare professionals gathered in Austin, Texas, and online for the CrossFit for Health Summit, presented by GORUCK.
CrossFit thought leaders led panel discussions on fitness, performance, and the hard work of health, while renowned experts shared cutting-edge research on longevity, mental and metabolic health, and chronic disease — and how the CrossFit community has the power to transform the landscape of it all.
CrossFit for Health: Future-Proof Your Brain, With Dr. Tommy Wood