Cycling linked to 40 per cent lower risk of young-onset dementia

Cycling in mid-life may significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia, according to a study involving nearly 500,000 adults in the UK.

Researchers found those who primarily travelled by bike were 19 per cent less likely to develop any form of dementia compared with those who relied on more sedentary transport such as cars, buses or trains.

The study also showed a 40 per cent lower risk of young-onset dementia — a form of the condition diagnosed before age 65 — among regular cyclists.

The research was carried out by a team at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China.

Cycling was also linked to a 22 per cent reduced risk of dementia specifically caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

The authors suggest that physical activity may protect brain health in several ways: improving blood flow, reducing inflammation, and lowering the risk of conditions such as obesity.

The study also proposed that mental processes involved in cycling — such as awareness of traffic, spatial navigation, and route planning — could offer cognitive stimulation that benefits memory and thinking skills.

Frequent cyclists were found to have, on average, a larger hippocampus — the area of the brain involved in memory and learning.

The authors wrote: “Promoting active travel strategies, particularly cycling, may be associated with lower dementia risk among middle-aged and older adults, which carries substantial public health benefits by encouraging accessible, sustainable practices for cognitive health preservation.”

One notable finding was that people carrying the APOE-e4 gene — a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s, found in about one in 50 people — also benefited from cycling.

While the protective effect was reduced compared to those without the gene, the activity still appeared to offer some protection and should be encouraged in this group.

Participants had an average age of 56 at the start of the study, with the youngest in their late 40s. The group was evenly split between men and women. Each participant was asked what form of transport they had used most often over the previous four weeks.

Researchers then tracked their health outcomes over the following 13 years, recording any diagnoses of dementia and, where applicable, the specific type.

By the end of the study, almost 9,000 cases of dementia and 4,000 cases of Alzheimer’s disease — the most common form of dementia — were recorded.

Analysis showed that choosing cycling as a main mode of transport was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing dementia, particularly young-onset cases.

The authors acknowledged some limitations.

Transport use was recorded only during a four-week window, meaning changes to travel habits during the 13-year follow-up were not captured.

They also noted the study was observational — so while a strong association was found, it cannot prove cycling directly reduces the risk of dementia.

The young-onset dementia findings come as rates of the condition continue to rise in the UK.

Around 71,000 people are now living with young-onset dementia, accounting for roughly 7.5 per cent of all dementia diagnoses — a 69 per cent increase since 2014.

The study follows earlier research suggesting that extended periods of sitting or lying down could raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, regardless of how much exercise someone gets overall.