A study of nearly half a million people has revealed that muscular strength, measured by handgrip, is an indication of how healthy our brains are.
Dr Joseph Firth, Research Fellow at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University and Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Manchester, crunched the numbers using UK Biobank data.
Using data from the 475,397 participants from all around the UK, the new study showed that on average, stronger people performed better across every test of brain functioning used.
Tests included reaction speed, logical problem solving, and multiple different tests of memory.
The study shows the relationships were consistently strong in both people aged under 55 and those aged over 55. Previous studies have only shown this applies in elderly people.
Read more at NICM, Western Sydney University
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