OUR physical activity Benefits our brains, two new studies find.

In one, scientists studied the lives, DNA, and perceptions of thousands of people to demonstrate how regular exercise leads to much sharper thinking.

A second study helped explain why exercise is good for the brain. In it, the researchers found that just six minutes of intense physical activity five times increased the production of neurochemical which is known to be essential for brain health.

The study, published shortly after a much-discussed study that raised doubts about how much exercise improves thinking and memory, analyzed data from almost 350,000 people.

These studies reinforce the idea that “exercise is one of the best things to do for the brain,” says Matthew Bougodier, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa and head of one.

Landmark Research

A study by Boagondier and his colleagues, published last week in Scientific reportsuses an innovative and sophisticated type of statistical analysis to go beyond traditional observational studies and convincingly demonstrate that exercise does improve brain skills.

Thus, they turned to DNA and Mendelian randomizationa method of using genetic variation to identify links between factors and diseases.

We are all born with or without certain parts of our DNA, some of which contribute to our physical activity.

By comparing the cognitive performance of people with or without a genetic predisposition to exercise with those of people with gene variants associated with intelligence, scientists can determine the extent to which exercise contributes to the development of thinking skills.

From two huge health databases, they took the genetic data of approximately 350,000 people of all ages, as well as physical activity approximately 91,000 of them and ratings cognitive skills out of almost 258,000.

People with a genetic predisposition to exercise routinely exercised, and the researchers found that they performed better on thinking tests if their exercise was at least moderate, comparable to jogging.

Another studies, although relatively smallcan help you understand how exercise keeps your mind healthy.

In this experiment, 12 healthy young adults performed static cycling at a leisurely pace for 90 minutes, followed by six minutes of interval exercise alternating 40 seconds of pedaling and 20 minutes of rest.

Before, during and after each ascent, the researchers recorded it. BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that promotes the creation and maturation of new brain cells and brain connections) in the blood of exercisers. In addition, they measured the levels lactic acidwhich is released by muscles during exercise, especially intense exercise, and can serve as “fuel” for the brain.

Earlier studies in mice showed that this it is the change in brain power that initiates the creation of BDNF. When animal brains start consuming lactic acid instead of sugar, they start producing more BDNF and the mice soon turn into brain rodents.

Now researchers have found evidence that something similar happens in humans. During leisurely cycling, people’s blood lactate levels rose slightly after about 30 minutes, as did the amount of BDNF in their blood. During and after six minutes of fast and hard pedaling, the levels of both lactic acid and BDNF increased dramatically.

The results of the study show that “exercise is good for our brain and more or more intense activity can maximize the benefitssays Travis Gibbons, a researcher at the University of the Okanagan in British Columbia who led the study.

Source: Washington Post.