Oxidative damage
A vast amount of controversy surrounds low intensity aerobic exercise and the proposed benefits such as reducing the risk of vascular dementia and decelerating aging[1]. It has increased the popularity of exercise machines such as treadmills, cross trainers etc. The evolving rise of sport medicine is helping improve the efficacy of research and is helping query such claims.
A new study in Psychoneuroendocrinology showed evidence of long-term high cortisol levels in experienced aerobic endurance athletes[2], . Free radicals are a major contributor to neurodegenerative diseases as they play an imminent role as the pathobiochemistry of this disorder involves oxidative stress, which accumulates free radicals leading to excessive lipid peroxidation and neuronal degeneration in certain brain regions. [3]