A Wild New Study Sheds Light On Why Exercise Is So Good For Our Brains

*Introduction*

Regular exercise is well-known to have both short and long-term cognitive benefits, from boosting memory and concentration to reducing inflammation and mitigating the risk of progressive, degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. New research has shed light on one potential mechanism for exactly how exercise aids in brain health.


*How Exercise Aids in Brain Health*

When muscles contain more nerve cells and those muscle-stimulating nerve cells are active, muscle tissue produces a bevy of brain-boosting compounds ¹. Muscles all around our bodies are connected to the brain through a network of nerve cells that penetrate into the muscle tissue, creating “innervated muscle.” Past studies have shown that strength and resistance training can increase the level of muscle innervation, bolstering that brain-body connection ¹.


*Brain-Boosting Compounds*

The study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that innervated muscle is important for the production and transport of many molecules that support and improve brain function, including proteins, mRNA, and hormones ¹.


*Benefits of Exercise*

Other studies have shown that regular exercise is related to increased size of brain areas important for memory and learning ². The study looked at MRI brain scans from 10,125 people and found those who regularly engaged in physical activities such as walking, running or sports had larger brain volumes in key areas ². This includes the gray matter, which helps with processing information, and the white matter, which connects different brain regions, as well as the hippocampus, important for memory ².


*Conclusion*

Regular exercise is great for the body and the brain. It has both short and long-term cognitive benefits, from boosting memory and concentration in the hours following a gym session to reducing inflammation and mitigating the risk of progressive, degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.