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Interesting Study: Exercise and Brain Growth
Fitness | March 13, 2016
Scientists have long understood that regular exercise causes our brains to actually grow in volume and decreases the chance of holes developing in brain matter as we age, which can cause degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. A recent studypublished in the Journal of Physiology and covered in a New York Times article goes one step further by examining the relationship between the amount of brain growth and different kinds of exercise.
Many of the past studies on exercise and brain growth have had their test subjects (both human and animal) exercise by using long form endurance exercise, like running on a treadmill. For this new study, researchers were interested in finding out if the brain reacts in the same way during short, intense, interval style training (like HIIT or my workouts) and resistance training (like weight training) as it does to endurance exercise.
The researchers used rats for their study and divided them into three groups. The first group of rats ran on wheels in their cages, running as fast as they felt like for as long as they felt like, which was a slower, more endurance style of running. The second rat group did HIIT. To simulate short, intense interval style training they put the rats on tiny treadmills and had them run really fast for short bursts of time with rest periods between bouts. The third group was the weight lifting group. Since they couldn’t make the rats hold tiny barbells, (haha-can’t stop picturing this), they attached weights to their tails and had the rats climb walls.
At the end of the seven week study the endurance rats showed big amounts of growth in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that we use for learning and memory. This kind of growth is called neurogenesis, which means the birth of new brain cells.
The HIIT rats showed some neurogenesis but not as much as the endurance rats.
The weight training rats had no new neurogenesis, although they got really ripped, rat-style.
These discoveries lead the researchers to believe that slow endurance style exercise causes the most neurogenesis, the most brain growth.
And that’s all great. But I got to thinking, slow endurance style exercise takes a lot of time, at least an hour (if not more) almost every day. If intense style interval training causes brain growth anyway, I think I’d rather take all the extra time I’m saving by not slogging away on a treadmill staring at a blank wall in some gym and stimulate my brain by reading a great book, or meditating, or hiking in the sunshine having a wonderful conversation with my partner, or researching and testing (mmmm…testing) new healthful recipes to nourish my body with.
What do you think of the new study? Does it change the way you consider your exercise schedule? Should we wait for more research, some that involves humans, before we make up our minds? Do you ever consider brain health when you think of your fitness and health routines? Let me know!
Private Member |
It’s good news exercise increases new brain cells! I’m with you Z , HIIT is just perfect for me coupled with daily walks , and longer walks/ hikes if I’ve more time 😊
Private Member |
warsaw, poland
Personally I’d choose variety: there are days when I feel like 20 km running (but I run ourdoors, and my route goes through the forests and parks, so it’s not boring and repetitive), but at least 5 days a week I stick to ZGYM workouts – and of course, there are also a lot of endurance workouts, especially among Summer Shred and Lifted Butt series. Short workouts are also great, because personally I always feel energized after and my brain works better.
When I was taking some neuroscience courses, all the professors were emphasizing the fact that REGULAR EXERCISE IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR BRAIN. It’s even better than the chocolate 🙂
Private Member |
switzerland/, france
I totally agree. I like variety too, and mostly enjoyable activities. I love being able to run on trails for fun : I could sprint between trees and then stop for a scenery, then go slow-mo on the downhill slope. I love biking for hours (if saddle doesn’t hurt) and playing fun games with kids on the shore and whatnot. All these require aerobic activities and some level of endurance. This is the part of exercice this research claims to help the hippocampus to be healthy ( and avoid Alzheimer).
I love HIIT for that it trains my whole-body and is short and gets the job done. (so that I am strong to sustain any stuff occuring in my life). Somehow it sustains the endurance and you’ll never see me wanting to run a marathon.
I like strength training too.
Alternating is the key, because all have benefits 😉
Private Member |
warsaw, poland
Laila, you’re being a great role model for your kids! 🙂 I am sure that if my parents were physically active when I was growing up, I’d stick to the fitness a great deal earlier.
Private Member |
ohio, usa
I am like you Zuzka. I definitely like the shorter, higher intensity workouts. Plus, I am more likely to stick with a routine that doesn’t take a lot of time out of my day. So, from that standpoint alone, the shorter routines win out. Never really thought about workouts for brain growth, but they definitely improve my mood.
Private Member |
salt lake city, utah, united states
This surprises me, I think it takes way more brain power to do your bodyweight HIIT exercises than endurance on a treadmill! Ugh treadmill running… Kill me now, so boring. I don’t think HIIT was accurately demonstrated in rats. I think a human doing a HIIT like yours, that takes all kinds of coordination, is way different than running for short bursts at a time. I grew up riding horses and it was common for people to “lunge” their horses (make them run around on the end of the rope to get the “bucks” out). I actually learned from a great trainer that lunging was very boring to horses and wasn’t making them use their heads and was actually bad for their training. I think treadmill running is just like lunging!
Private Member |
interesting! I love HIIT also and happy to hear it’s a benefit to the brain! 🙂
Private Member |
toronto, canada
Thanks for sharing! I love all the studies you share on your website! I can’t handle the treadmill either, but I do love a long run outside from time to time. Great to know that the short intense workouts also have benefits for brain growth.
I find the short intense workouts to be even better for my mood though than long workouts, personally. Lots of people talk about the runners high, and while I feel accomplished going long distances, I get much more energy and mood boosting from power workouts like your cardio shred series or cross fit.
Private Member |
st. peter, minnesota, usa
It’s great that exercise has a positive effect on the brain, and that is something that I have thought about before. I used to take a break from my research in the lab (when I was a grad student) to workout, and I always felt more productive after returning from my workout.
Now my long & easy exercise is daily, with my high energy puppy, either a long hike on a trail somewhere or a long walk mixed with some running in my neighborhood. For my personal fitness I like short workouts so that I have time to do a lot of stretching afterwards. Right now I’m totally out of shape from a year of being too sedentary and eating too much ice cream, so I’m slowly working back up to the HIIT, starting with the Bunny Slope series. They have been a very enjoyable way to get re-started.
Private Member |
seattle, washington
I have a hard time seeing little rat hands holding books… 🙂
Private Member |
I read the original article but your version was way more entertaining (i.e.. ripped Rat style 😉 I think studies like this make people feel guilty. HIIT is way better than no exercise. Although I dance, hike, swim as well as do your workouts, I don’t have kids and since I’m a writer, I can make my own hours. Most people have kids, commute etc and to squeeze an hour from their schedule is impossible. Then they just don’t exercise. Besides, I think once people start doing HIIT workouts regularly, they’ll want to move more. The more I’ve exercised in my life, the more I want to.
Private Member |
bath, somerset, united kingdom
Great news. Yet another great bit of motivation and excuse to exercise 😆
I am totally with you on choosing short intense workouts and having more time for a variety of activities that also have positive effects on the brain. Variety as well as new experiences in particular also have positive growth effects on the brain AND mood.
Personally working out is my anti depressant. For many years I went in and out of depression. Nothing stabilises my mood and lifts me up like a bit of ZGym action does. All physical activity does lift my mood but your workouts dear Zuzka are a wholesome mind and body experience for me. On that thought, THANK YOU. Let me remind you how grateful I am and your army of Warriors are for what you do and bring into our lives.