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Want to Know Why Exercise is So Good for Your Brain?
Exercise induces epigenetic changes that increase BDNF, a protein that keeps neurons healthy and improves cognitive function.
Dedicated to my friend James who is battling memory loss following chemotherapy.
In 2012, I published a story that I called, “Forgetful? Go Jogging.” It described the findings from a study published in the July 2012 issue of the journal Neuroscience. It showed that exercising for a month, either walking or jogging four times a week, improved the results of memory and mood tests. A control group that did not exercise showed no change from the initial tests. This was not a surprise as previous observational studies had already suggested that exercise was beneficial for the brain.
What was the most interesting finding in the study was that the behavioral improvements were positively correlated with a rise in a blood and brain protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor or BDNF.
Why you may be wondering, am I writing about the results of a 2012 paper in 2019? Let me explain.
More about BDNF
As its name implies BDNF is a protein that is secreted by neurons. Its function is to maintain the health and normal functioning of existing neurons as…
