| Need to be firing on all cylinders during an exam or presentation? Wish you could get a brain boost during the workday? A run, game of basketball, or other ‘burst” of exercise every few days may help. It’s no secret that regular exercise is fantastic for your heart, brain, bones, and overall health. But that’s the long game. It appears that exercise can provide immediate results, too. A recent preliminary study shows that short bouts of exercise may boost brain performance for several days. In the study, researchers found that an intense exercise session boosts the functioning of a particular gene. This gene in turn increases connections between brain cells related to learning and memory. The study was done on animals, and more research is needed, but there’s no need to wait to incorporate short bouts of intense exercise into your routine. Make physical activity a regular part of your life, and rather than relying on caffeine to give you a mental lift, try hitting the pavement, court, or dance floor!
Source: Exercise-induced enhancement of synaptic function triggered by the inverse BAR protein, Mtss1L |
