Whenever I come across an article relating to health, particularly how exercise affects the brain, I am fascinated. Perhaps it is because I value that cognitive lump of gray matter in between my ears. Or perhaps it is simply because I am interested in how different parts of the body relate to each other, feed off of each other, and how we can improve the overall function of our bodies as a whole. Okay, so that wasn't so simple, but this morning I came across an article about new findings in the health world. These new findings speak to how the brain is affected by regular exercise. Not only was I fascinated to see the correlation that was drawn between exercise and brain function, but being an avid early morning walker with my dogs, I wanted to see what effect I was having on my own brain. I am sure that I don't need to mention the overall benefits of exercise. Most people know that exercise is essential to keeping us in shape, increasing our longevity on this earth, and improving the overall function of the organs residing within our body. In steps the brain. Exercise, while a great workout for the body, is also a great workout for the brain. With the increase in heart rate, blood flow, breathing, and other bodily functions, our brains also increase in activity to keep us moving smoothly, regulating systems, maintaining balance, etc. The main "food" that the brain utilizes, exercise or no exercise, is glycogen or stored carbohydrates. There is a whole process in which it is stored near neurons and utilized upon demand, but I will not get into that here. If you want to read more about the physiological processes in detail, follow this link.
So how does the brain's food source relate to exercise? Well, in studies done in Japan (none on humans thus far), it was found that exercise at first depleted the amount of glycogen in the frontal cortex and hippocampus regions of the brain. These areas specialize in thinking, memory, and motor function amongst others. After rest and feeding however, the glycogen levels in those areas surpassed the base level that was measured before the exercise. In essence, the brain absorbed more "food" after exercise to assist in improving its overall function. This higher absorption rate can be found after just one exercise. After a day or so, the levels drop back to pre-exercise levels. If, however, the exercise continues for a longer period of time, say four weeks, the base measurement for glycogen is seen to be higher than in sedentary animals. This means that if you exercise regularly, you are essentially creating a more nourished brain. To me, this correlates directly to what I have heard from many people and in many news articles over the years. People tend to think better during or after exercise. Sometimes, people exercise to work out problems in their head or to rid themselves of daily stress so that afterwards they can work more effectively on problems. With this new study showing how the brain's "food" is at higher levels after exercise, it all seems to make sense. After all, why do I write this blog in the early morning after I have gone for a thirty minute walk? Reading this, it seems to make sense that I would be more "clear headed" after exercise and my brain would have more "food" so it can function at higher levels. The direct correlation that I made has not been proven by any scientific means, but it seems fairly logical to me.
In addition to producing a healthier body and longer life, exercise it seems is also vital to increasing brain function. The more we exercise, the sharper our brains will be and the better we will be able to function. When it comes to problem solving, we all want the leading edge, to be a step above our competition. Well, it is all within our own power to gain that leading edge, if we choose. The weekly recommendation for exercise is 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. I know I get at least that and when I don't go on my morning walk for whatever reason, I feel slower, more sluggish and tired. They say that all it takes to make a new habit is repetition of a certain act for 21 days or 3 weeks. If people could make the commitment to even just walking around the block, morning or evening during the week, they would experience many benefits outside better health. With all this new research coming out on the effects of exercise, you would think that more and more people would be hopping on the exercise band wagon. Unfortunately, people can't seem to find 30 minutes in a day to get a little exercise in. For the statistic minded individual, that is only 2% of your day (at 24 hours). If you want to factor in 8 hours of sleep, that still leaves that 30 minutes of exercise at only 3.125% of your day. People are concerned with lagging brain function, their lack of energy, etc. All it takes is a little exercise, healthy eating, and we will all be on our way to living a more full, longer, and healthier life (and one filled with stronger brains as well)!
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