Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 12, 2026
Integration of Brain Tissue Saturation Monitoring in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients with Heart Failure
Published on: October 1, 2019
Cardiorespiratory fitness and brain volume and white matter integrity: The CARDIA Study
Na Zhu1, David R Jacobs2, Pamela J Schreiner1
1From the Divisions of Epidemiology and Community Health (N.Z., D.R.J., P.J.S., E.D.) and Biostatistics (W.T.), School of Public Health, University of Minnesota; St. Barnabas Hospital (N.Z.), affiliated with Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Neuroepidemiology Section (L.J.L.), NIA; Kaiser Permanente Division of Research (R.A.W., S.S.); Human Genomics (C.B.), Pennington Biomedical Research Center; School of Public Health (K.H.), Indiana University Bloomington; and Department of Radiology (G.E., H.B., R.N.B.), University of Pennsylvania.
Insights
Higher cardiorespiratory fitness in middle-aged adults is linked to better brain health. Improved maximal treadmill test duration correlated with greater whole brain volume and white matter integrity five years later.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiorespiratory fitness is a key indicator of overall health.
- Brain health is crucial for cognitive function and quality of life in aging populations.
- Previous research suggests a link between physical activity and brain structure, but more investigation is needed in diverse middle-aged cohorts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain MRI findings in healthy middle-aged adults.
- To determine if higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness predict favorable brain structure and integrity.
- To explore the relationship between maximal treadmill test duration and specific brain MRI metrics.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 565 healthy middle-aged men and women from the CARDIA Study was analyzed.
- Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using maximal treadmill test duration (Maxdur).
- Brain MRI measures, including whole brain volume, white matter integrity, and white matter abnormal tissue volume, were obtained 5 years after fitness assessment.
Main Results:
- Each 1-minute increase in Maxdur was associated with a reduced odds ratio for lower whole brain volume (OR=0.85, p=0.04) and white matter integrity (OR=0.80, p=0.02).
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for numerous demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors.
- No significant associations were found between Maxdur and white matter abnormal tissue volume or white matter blood flow.
Conclusions:
- Greater cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better brain volume and white matter integrity in middle-aged adults.
- These findings suggest that maintaining high physical fitness may contribute to preserving brain health over time.
- Cardiorespiratory fitness may be a modifiable factor influencing long-term brain structure and integrity.
Objective:
We hypothesized that greater cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with lower odds of having unfavorable brain MRI findings.
Methods:
We studied 565 healthy, middle-aged, black and white men and women in the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) Study. The fitness measure was symptom-limited maximal treadmill test duration (Maxdur); brain MRI was measured 5 years later. Brain MRI measures were analyzed as means and as proportions below the 15th percentile (above the 85th percentile for white matter abnormal tissue volume).
Results:
Per 1-minute-higher Maxdur, the odds ratio for having less whole brain volume was 0.85 (p = 0.04) and for having low white matter integrity was 0.80 (p = 0.02), adjusted for age, race, sex, clinic, body mass index, smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity, education, blood pressure, diabetes, total cholesterol, and lung function (plus intracranial volume for white matter integrity). No significant associations were observed between Maxdur and abnormal tissue volume or blood flow in white matter. Findings were similar for associations with continuous brain MRI measures.
Conclusions:
Greater physical fitness was associated with more brain volume and greater white matter integrity measured 5 years later in middle-aged adults.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI
01:11Cardiac Output and Stroke Volume
In an average resting adult male, the typical cardiac...
01:22Cardiac Output II: Effect of Stroke Volume on Cardiac Output
Preload
Preload refers to the initial elongation of the cardiac myocytes before contraction and is related to the volume of blood filling the heart at the end of diastole, or end-diastolic volume. The...
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...