Which Exercise Builds the Biggest Brain?
If you’ve been reading my Monday Morning Health Tips for a while now, or if you’ve read my book, Get Healthy for Heaven’s Sake, you’re likely aware of the high praise I give to any method scientifically proven to increase the production of the brain hormone, BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). One author even refers to BDNF as Miracle Gro® for the brain!
This mighty hormone not only stimulates new brain cell production (neurogenesis) and strengthens the existing connections between brain cells (neurons), but it also constructs new connections between brain cells (poised for the time when the original, connecting “bridges” give way due to aging).
I recently became aware of a study conducted in Finland*, using rats as its “guinea pigs.” It sought to answer the question: Which form of exercise has the greatest impact on the production of new brain cells? The researchers divided the rats into four groups: sedentary, weight lifting (climbing a wall with weights attached to their tails), jogging on a treadmill (sustained, aerobic exercise), and the popular exercise fad of the day: anaerobic, high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—bursts of high intensity activity interspersed with periods of rest.
Expected, and confirmed, was that no new brain cell production occurred in the sedentary animals. But two things, which were quite unsuspected, really got my attention. First, the weight lifting animals, while showing measurable gains in their strength, had not produced any new brain cells. The second, even more surprising finding, was that the HIIT training rats showed statistically insignificant new brain cell production. The researchers surmised this was due to the previously observed fact that highly stressful situations actually cause a decrease in the production of BDNF and therefore a near-neutral brain cell appreciation was observed in this third group.
As it turned out, the exercise which had the greatest impact on new brain cell production was— drum roll, please—sustained, aerobic exercise (jogging, in this particular study). That’s really good news for you and me because there are many ways we can participate in a sustained, aerobic workout—brisk walking (3.5-4mph), hiking, jogging, stair climbing, biking, rowing, swimming, or even jumping aboard an elliptical trainer.
Now, before you go throw out any other part of your workout routine, deeming it “useless,” remember, this study only measured neurogenesis, and not the strengthening of existing brain cell connections or the construction of new “connecting bridges.” Also, the other proven benefits which exercise has on our bones, muscles, blood pressure and sugar levels remind us to be well-rounded in our exercise routines (and not so in our midsections).
*Nokia, et. al., Journal of Physiology, February 24, 2016.