Older people who regularly ride a bike for transportation are less at risk of developing dementia compared to those who rarely cycle, new research has suggested.
Scientists from China and Australia have found that cycling is the mode of transport associated with the greatest cognitive benefits.
Previous studies have revealed that taxi drivers and ambulance drivers are less at risk of developing dementia.
Throughout the trial, the team of researchers looked at the health data of 479,723 adults, all of whom displayed no signs of dementia.
They discovered that the participants who frequently ride a bike for transportation were the least likely to develop Alzheimer’s, young-onset dementia and late-onset dementia compared to those who predominantly walk, drive or use the bus.
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In addition, those who regularly ride a bike for transportation retained more hippocampal volume than the participants who use other modes of transport, the study has reported.
According to the results, the APOE ε4 gene variant offered those who frequently cycle even more protection from developing dementia.
Read the study in the journal JAMA Network Open.
