McMaster study finds orienteering may help ‘stave off’ cognitive decline tied to dementia

A new study out of McMaster University has found that the sport of orienteering could be used as a lifestyle intervention" to help stave off cognitive decline tied to dementia.

The research, led by graduate student Emma Waddington, was inspired by her experience in the pastime. Raised in Hamilton, the 25-year-old has been orienteering since the late 2000s and joined Canada's national team in 2015.

Orienteering, which originated in Sweden, is a competitive sport in which participants have to find their way across an area as fast as possible with the aid of only a map and a compass.

Waddington, 25, described it as an onerous sport, demanding both high levels of fitness and cognitive abilities to navigate and traverse the terrain.

However, it wasn't the youngest participants that sparked her curiosity about the game and its impact on the brain.

You see people from all ages, like eight to 87 years old, taking part," Waddington said. And I've always thought there had to be some reason why people this old can still be out here doing such a high demand activity."

In the study, which was recently published in the journal PLOS ONE, Waddington and a group of researchers polled fit adults between the ages of 18 to 87, all with differing levels of orienteering experience, spanning from none to elite.

Waddington said through questionnaires, they found those with more experience and higher skills in orienteering described having better spatial memory and navigation capabilities - regardless of their age, sex or physical activity levels.

Those skills stimulate the hippocampus, a part of the brain used by modern humans' ancient ancestors for hunting and gathering.

However, fast forward millions of years, the need for that expertise has waned with prepared meals and the invention of GPS, Waddington said.

Jennifer Heisz, Canada Research Chair in brain health and aging at McMaster University, argues it is a case of use it or lose it," pointing to how the brain changes with the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Heisz said when it comes to the progression of the condition, the hippocampus is the first to deteriorate, adding that folks' ability to navigate in the world is typically one of the earliest skills to decline - even in the mildest stages" of the disease.

We're underutilizing that brain region," said Heisz. And it's almost like a muscle - if you don't exercise it or work it out, it could atrophy faster than it normally would."

Heisz said their research suggests orienteering could be used as a lifestyle intervention that may help stave off or delay these way-finding issues."

Waddington said while the study is very preliminary," it showed orienteering improved spatial memory and navigational capabilities regardless of age."

The next step of their research would be looking at how just one round or a short burst of orienteering could affect someone's memory, Waddington added.

Heisz said although orienteering may not be accessible to everyone, there are ways for people to implement some of its attributes in their daily lives.

That includes turning to a map instead of a GPS while driving or trying out a new route on runs, walks and bike rides, Heisz added.

Those are all really good ways to challenge your brain while being active," said Waddington. It gives you more bang for your buck than regular exercise."

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com