December 17, 2025

Muscle mass found to help brain

MSN -  According to brand-new research that will be presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting later this month, having more muscle mass can protect against brain ageing. Meanwhile, having more visceral fat – that is, the hidden fat that sits deeper within your body, which lines your abdominal walls and surrounds many of your vital organs – accelerates brain ageing.

Thanks to several studies, we already know the importance of building and maintaining muscle mass for the sake of better physical health. Strong, well-functioning muscles not only help you to run more powerfully, become less prone to injury, develop a nice aesthetic and reduce your risk of various diseases and chronic conditions, but also play a big role in combatting age-related problems like sarcopenia.

So carrying more muscle can help you to live in a more youthful body, for longer. But what does it do for the brain?

That’s what the latest science set out to determine. For the new study in question, researchers tested 1,164 healthy adults – 52% women, with an average age of 55 – by putting them each through a full-body MRI scan. MRI scans provide a distinct view of a person’s fat, muscle and brain tissue and can reveal the biological age of the brain based on its structure. 

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