Long term study of long distance skiers finds that physical activity can delay the onset of Parkinson’s Disease

To investigate further the relationship between physical activity and Parkinson’s Disease, researchers in Sweden analyzed the medical records of almost 200,000 long distance skiers that took part in the Vasaloppet cross-country race. The Vasaloppet, an annual 90 km course is the oldest cross-country ski race in the world held on the first Sunday in March in Sweden.

The results of the study, published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease found that a physically active lifestyle was associated with an almost 30% reduced risk of Parkinson’s Disease. This is believed to be explained by a motor reserve among the physically active. It was also found that whilst this motor reserve can dissipate with age, the individuals that continued to be physically active for longer were able to maintain mobility for longer despite changes in the brain and that the well trained with the greatest motor skills were even able to delay the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.

The skiers were followed from 1989-2010 and were studied and compared to 197,684 aged matched non-skiers. The researchers from both Skåne University Hospital and Lund University, Sweden believe that this study may provide an explanation that although physical activity doesn’t always offer complete protection against Parkinson’s Disease it does however support the motor reserve of the brain helping to slow and even postpone the onset of Parkinson’s symptoms.