Does exercise improve our ability to SMELL? Working out helps us hold on to the sense as we age

  • About 25% of people over the age of 50 have a diminished sense of smell
  • Exercising just once a week can prevent the sense of smell fading with age
  • This could be because exercise improves brain function

By Emma Innes

Published: 08:26 EST, 21 October 2013 | Updated: 08:26 EST, 21 October 2013

Everyone is familiar with the havoc that the passing years can wreak on the body, but few dread the effect ageing will have on their sense of smell.

New research, however, suggests that this is yet another side-effect of old age. A study has found that a quarter of over 50s have an impaired sense of smell.

But it is not all bad news as the study also found that regular exercise can prevent the sense of smell fading, LiveScience reports.

About 25 per cent of people over the age of 50 have an impaired sense of smell

The study, published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, saw researchers follow 1,600 people over the age of 50 for ten years.

None of the participants had problems with their smell at the start of the research.

During the ten year study, the scientists repeatedly tested the volunteer’s ability to identify eight smells, including lemon, chocolate and coffee.

During the research period, 28 per cent of the participants developed problems with their sense of smell.

But the results revealed that the more the person exercised, the less likely they were to develop smelling problems.

Exercising just once a week can prevent the sense of smell fading with age

Just one exercise session a week was shown to be sufficient to reduce the risk of the sense of smell fading.

It also showed that men are more likely to lose their sense of smell than women, and that smokers are at a higher risk of developing impairment of the sense of smell.

The researchers are not sure why exercise protects the sense of smell but they mentioned it could be because it improves brain function.