June 13, 2025, 11:03 am | Read time: 3 minutes
A study involving nearly half a million participants suggests that regular cycling can significantly reduce the risk of dementia. The reason for this may lie in a specific brain region that is strengthened through cycling.
Physical activity is good for the brain. When it involves a sense of direction and spatial thinking, the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia decreases even further. Studies with taxi and ambulance drivers, who navigate large cities daily, have already demonstrated this. 1 A Chinese-Australian research team wanted to find out to what extent physical movement—specifically cycling or walking—reduces the risk of dementia and which method is more effective. The study results were published in the journal “JAMA Network Open.” 2
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Overview
Data from 479,723 People Collected
To learn more, the team analyzed health data from 479,723 individuals from the UK Biobank, a large-scale long-term study on the health of people in England, Scotland, and Wales. The gender ratio was balanced, and the average age was 56.5 years. At the start of the study, all participants were healthy, showing no signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s. They were also asked how often they used a bike, bus, or car, or walked.
Cycling Reduced Dementia Risk by 19 Percent
Who developed dementia during the study? A total of 8,845 participants were diagnosed with dementia (1.8 percent), of which 3,956 had Alzheimer’s (0.8 percent). The key finding: People who cycled regularly were the least likely to develop dementia. According to the researchers, this suggests that regular cycling could reduce the risk of developing dementia by 19 percent and the risk of Alzheimer’s by 22 percent.
However, this does not seem to apply equally to everyone. Genes apparently play a role—specifically a gene called APOE ε4, which is associated with a higher risk of dementia. Those without this gene benefit more from cycling, according to the study’s findings. This effect was particularly pronounced in late-onset dementia. For Alzheimer’s or early-onset dementia, the genetic difference was less significant.
There were also interesting observations regarding walking: People who walked a lot had a smaller volume of certain brain areas—the gray and white matter—according to the study. Additionally, pure walking even showed a slightly increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
What About Other Modes of Transportation?
Those who traveled by car or a combination of car and public transport had a lower risk of dementia than those who only used the bus or train. The previous assumption that driving mainly causes stress and could therefore be harmful was not confirmed by the results.
Also interesting: Can Cycling Make Men Impotent?
How Does the Brain Benefit from Cycling?
The researchers made another insightful discovery: MRI scans of the brains showed that regular cyclists had a larger hippocampus volume. This is a brain region important for memory and learning. A well-developed hippocampus volume is therefore considered an important indicator of a lower risk of dementia.
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Why the Study Is Important
Even though the study mainly relies on self-reported data, which can always lead to measurement errors, its strengths lie in the large number of participants and the long measurement period. Dementia is a rapidly spreading phenomenon. The number of cases is expected to rise worldwide from 55 million in 2019 to 139 million in 2050. This leads to a significant caregiving burden, not to mention the costs. Therefore, it is important for global health to identify cost-effective and easily integrable methods into daily life that can slow down this problematic trend. Cycling seems to be a safe way to reduce the risk of dementia.