Move smarter
“Eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise”
Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, circa 460-377 BC
Regular exercise helps to produce new brain cells
The ancient Greeks were right...you get smarter when you exercise! Modern research has been able to show that we can actually exercise our way to more brain cells and thereby increase our brain’s capacity. Not so long ago, it was thought impossible for adults to produce new brain cells. On the contrary, in recent years research has been able to show that this is completely false. Regular exercise increases the formation of new brain cells in some areas, especially in those that control memory and learning. This means that you actually become smarter by exercising and also delay the degradation of your brain cells caused by ageing. This reduces the risk of memory problems and dementia, such as those associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Why does exercise make us smarter?
The answer is the BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which works as a small miracle cure for our brain cells. The BDNF helps to produce new brain cells, protect existing brain cells from damage, and create new connections between brain cells so that they can communicate more efficiently. The ability to create new connections and improve communication between brain cells is called plasticity and is important for keeping the brain young and healthy. By exercising, our muscles produce a protein that reaches the brain via the bloodstream, causing it to produce the all-important BDNF. In adulthood, we maintain a relatively constant level of BDNF. However, this level drops with stress and inflammation, and if we eat a lot of saturated fat and refined sugar. This is good to remember when discussing the health impact of saturated fat.
Aerobic exercise increases the number of brain cells
What’s fascinating is that regular aerobic exercise, known as cardio, such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling, skiing, tennis, or running, increases BDNF levels, which can help to improve memory and the ability to learn. A British animal study from the University of Cambridge showed that after a couple of days of aerobic exercise, several hundred thousand brain cells linked to the brain’s memory function were produced. Researchers have also been able to demonstrate a clear link between exercise and brain volume. Low levels of exercise means less brain volume. Anaerobic exercise such as strength training does not have the same effect on the ability to form new brain cells, but it has other health benefits such as increasing metabolism and building muscle. Exercise also results in a healthier heart and lungs, which contributes to the better supply of blood and oxygen to the brain. When we exercise, the body’s level of inflammation decreases, which in turn reduces the risk of various welfare diseases and damage to brain tissue.
