The Exercise4Brain project, developed by researchers from the Department of Sport Sciences at the University of Beira Interior (UBI), has been approved for funding of €240,000 by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the national call for R&D projects (IC&DT – PT2030).

Led by Professor Mário Marques, Full Professor at UBI, the project will conduct a pioneering longitudinal study to understand how different volumes of resistance training affect cognitive function and brain structure in individuals with cognitive impairment. By systematically combining cognitive assessment, brain imaging and biomarker analysis, the team aims to clarify how strength training dose can be optimised to protect and enhance brain health in this vulnerable population.

The research team brings together experts from Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Psychology, including Henrique Neiva, Daniel Marinho, Dulce Esteves, Diogo Marques and Nuno Fonseca, as well as collaborators from other UBI faculties and international partners. The project will work closely with residential care facilities for older adults, with the dual goal of advancing scientific knowledge and responding to real needs in geriatric care, particularly in the Cova da Beira region.

Exercise4Brain builds on previous work coordinated by Professor Mário Marques in projects focused on frailty and ageing, and is integrated within the research agenda of CIDESD. Together, these initiatives reinforce the strategic role of exercise-based interventions as non-pharmacological tools to preserve autonomy, delay dependence and improve quality of life in older adults with cognitive decline.

According to the project’s coordinator, the FCT funding represents both recognition of the work developed over the last decades in Sport Sciences at UBI and CIDESD, and a strong incentive to continue investing in high-impact applied research at the intersection of neuroscience, exercise physiology and gerontology. Learn more on UBI’s website: https://www.ubi.pt/Noticia/8001