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Regular exercise wakes up the brain cells
October 4, 2011
Dr. Mark Davis
Is your brain tired? Then, a little exercise may be just the thing to get those brain cells firing again.
A study by Arnold School of Public Health researchers, led by Dr. Mark Davis in the department of exercise science, may hold the clue as to why exercise boosts our minds.
Researchers have known for years that regular exercise increases the number of organelles, called mitochondria, in muscle cells. Since mitochondria are responsible for generating energy, this numerical boost is thought to underlie many of the positive physical effects of exercise, such as increased strength or endurance. Exercise also has a number of positive mental effects, such as relieving depression and improving memory. However, the mechanism behind this occurrence has been unclear until now.
The Arnold School study found that regular exercise increases mitochondrial numbers in brain cells, a potential cause for exercise's beneficial mental effects.
The results of the study appear in the Articles in PresS section of the Journal of Applied Physiology, published by the American Physiological Society.
"These findings suggest that exercise training increases the number of mitochondria in the brain, much like it increases mitochondria in muscles," said Davis, a professor in the department of exercise science and director of the exercise biochemistry laboratory.
This increase in brain mitochondria may play a role in boosting exercise endurance by making the brain more resistant to fatigue, which can also affect physical performance, he said. It also could help with normal daily activities by making you feel more energized and raring to go.
The study goes on to suggest that this boost in brain mitochondria could have clinical implications for mental disorders, making exercise a potential treatment for psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
"These findings could lead to the enhancement of athletic performance through reduced mental and physical fatigue, as well as to the expanded use of exercise as a therapeutic option to attenuate the negative effects of aging, and the treatment and/or prevention of neurological diseases," Davis said.
The Arnold School study team included Jennifer L. Steiner, E. Angela Murphy, Jamie L. McClellan, and Martin D. Carmichael.
The study has been featured in the New York Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/how-exercise-can-strengthen-the-brain/
