FitLife

LOVE this: because it strongly suggests good, power-building leg training is anti-aging for the brain.
(Ie, probably a stronger stimulant than crosswords)

Your leg muscles act as a massive endocrine organ that directly shapes the structural integrity of your brain over time. When you engage in high-power leg exercises, like squats or sprinting, your muscles release specialized signaling proteins called myokines into your bloodstream. A primary myokine, cathepsin B, crosses the blood-brain barrier and triggers the expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). BDNF acts like fertilizer for the brain, specifically targeting the hippocampus, which is the epicenter for memory and learning. Over time, this consistent chemical signaling stimulates neurogenesis—the creation of new neurons—and fortifies synaptic plasticity. By building a high baseline of leg power today, you systematically accumulate a “cognitive reserve” that prevents the neural atrophy and memory decline typically seen in aging adults.

Also, leg power serves as a critical regulator of the foundational biological engines that keep the brain youthful. Heavy weight-bearing exercise sends electrical and mechanical feedback loops through the central nervous system, stimulating the subventricular zone of the brain where neural stem cells reside. Restricting leg movement reduces the generation of these vital new nerve cells, meaning your physical drive today preserves your brain’s cellular regeneration capacity for tomorrow. Furthermore, intense lower-body training optimizes systemic mitochondrial health and controls systemic inflammation. By maintaining robust leg power, you prevent the age-related accumulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause chronic neuroinflammation. This reduction in inflammatory stress protects your cerebral vasculature and neural pathways, ensuring your brain remains sharp, resilient, and structurally sound 20 years down the road.

See PMID: 26551663

See the comment by Steve Seward below (was unable to copy-paste)

At 62, Clare Elms just became the oldest woman to ever run a sub-5 minute 1500m.

She did it into 20+ mph headwinds at Wimbledon on Wednesday night, wearing race number 62 to match her age. Eight of her ten rivals were young enough to be her grandkids. She got boxed in at the back of the pack for the first two laps, forced to run wide with no clean line through traffic. She was off pace at the bell. On the last lap she clawed her way past half the field, then turned into a headwind for the entire home straight.

She still crossed the line in 4:56.77, taking 0.08 seconds off her own world W60 record.

Most runners slow by about 1% a year after 60. Elms has run under 4:59 for the 1500m every single year since she turned 55, and somehow she keeps getting faster. She already owns 16 different UK records at 1500m and the mile across every age group from W45 to W60. This spring alone she has set world bests of 17:45 for 5km and 29:53 for 5 miles.

And she thinks she can go quicker still in better conditions later this season.

Words to live by 💪