PHYSICAL FITNESS AND YOUR BRAIN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE SCIENCE, THE BENEFITS AND HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE BRAIN HEALTH

What’s better for the brain- Aerobic or Resistance training? It has been shown that both styles of training promote different health benefits to brain tissue.

Aerobic exercise increases blood flow and creates new blood vessels in the brain. This improves brain health by increased circulation and oxygen delivery[1]. Furthermore, resistance training stimulates the release of myokines which have a variety of benefits to brain tissue[2].  

These specialized proteins released from your muscles (Myokines) are vital to the brain and have been shown to help reduce inflammation in brain tissue and help improve cognitive function [2]. Increased inflammation has an association with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.  

Aerobic training with a minimum of 150 minutes per week significantly increases the expression of growth factors[3]. This is very important to create new neurons in the hippocampus, which is the center of the brain for learning and memory.

It is no secret that there are endless benefits to working out. Both cardiovascular and resistance training have been shown to have a positive impact on brain health. All the more reason to ensure you have a well-rounded training routine to ensure the brain is not missing out on these significant gains!

[1] Lehmann N, Villringer A, Taubert M. Colocalized White Matter Plasticity and Increased Cerebral Blood Flow Mediate the Beneficial Effect of Cardiovascular Exercise on Long-Term Motor Learning. J Neurosci. 2020 Mar 18;40(12):2416-2429. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2310-19.2020. Epub 2020 Feb 10. PMID: 32041897; PMCID: PMC7083530.

[2] Bae JH, Song W. Brain and Brawn: Role of Exercise-Induced Myokines. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2019 Sep;28(3):145-147. doi: 10.7570/jomes.2019.28.3.145. Epub 2019 Mar 30. PMID: 31583378; PMCID: PMC6774442.

[3] Ferrer-Uris B, Ramos MA, Busquets A, Angulo-Barroso R. Can exercise shape your brain? A review of aerobic exercise effects on cognitive function and neuro-physiological underpinning mechanisms. AIMS Neurosci. 2022 Apr 2;9(2):150-174. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2022009. PMID: 35860684; PMCID: PMC925652