A novel training approach could help older adults stay mentally sharp and physically fit even when fatigued, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Extremadura in Spain investigated the effects of Brain Endurance Training (BET) on cognitive and physical performance in sedentary older women. The research, led by Jesús Díaz-García and colleagues, compared BET to standard exercise training and a control group over an 8-week period.
One example of BET is the Stroop task, a cognitive test where participants must name the color of a word, while the word itself spells out a different color (e.g., the word "red" printed in blue ink).*
Key findings from the study include:
- BET improved both cognitive and physical performance more than standard exercise training alone, especially when participants were in a fatigued state.
- The BET group showed greater improvements in tasks like walking, chair stands, and arm curls compared to the exercise-only and control groups.
- Cognitive performance, measured by reaction time and accuracy on attention tasks, was enhanced more in the BET group than other groups.
- BET appeared to increase participants' resilience to mental fatigue, allowing them to maintain better performance even after completing demanding cognitive tasks.
- The benefits of BET were still evident at a 4-week follow-up assessment.
As the researchers note, "These findings show that BET can improve cognitive and physical performance in older adults."
The study authors conclude that "BET can be recommended for use by older adults to improve performance and tackle the detrimental effects of mental fatigue on behavior, with the likely benefits being improved balance control and less incidence of falls and accidents."
*During the Cold War, U.S, intelligence agencies used the Stroop task to identify potential Russian spies by presenting them with a color-word test in Russian, where a native Russian speaker would slow down when encountering incongruent color-word combinations, revealing their ability to read Russian and potentially their true identity as a spy; whereas a non-Russian speaker would not experience the same delay because the words would be meaningless to them.
Previously:
• How to find out if someone who claims not to speak Russian really can speak Russian
