Why Exercise Boosts Brainpower

aditi sends us a report from Reuters on research indicating that exercise boosts brainpower by building new brain cells in a brain region linked with memory and memory loss. Quoting: "Tests on mice showed they grew new brain cells in a brain region called the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus that is known to be affected in the age-related memory decline that begins around age 30 for most humans. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging scans to help document the process in mice — and then used MRIs to look at the brains of people before and after exercise. They found the same patterns, which suggests that people also grow new brain cells when they exercise."

Ballonee

[MyLongNickName (822545)]

I nevar work out and my brane wurks as well as ne1 elses!

Re:Ballonee

[cayenne8 (626475)]

Ok...I'm off to the gym this afternoon after work!!

Now....I gotta try to remember where the hell the gym is??

Re:Ballonee

[10Neon (932006)]

I know how you feel! I wouldn't know where my local gym was either if it wasn't next to a steak house and a KFC.

How many Geek Mice do you know?

[EmbeddedJanitor (597831)]

Cross species generalisations are the basis of most of this kind of research, mainly because lab rats are cheap and sdon't complain when you kill them and copen them up to look for changes. But how much of it is really valid?

Here's an interesting anecdote: Scientists were running rats through a maze with a reward system to measure how fast they learn. Rats soon learn the optimum path and get rewarded. COnclusion: rats are smart and learn. Now substitute in a ferret. Ferret searches maze and finds the food (

AHA!

[Poruchik (1004331)]

That explains Schwartzenegger! (Doesn't explain Stallone though).

Re:AHA!

[errxn (108621)]

It also explains most of the posts on /. as well.

Next Week

[2names (531755)]

Just watch...next week they will announce that they interpreted the data in reverse.

How do I know this?

Because 99% of the really smart people I've met in my life are big, fat, dope-smoking UNIX guys who think a treadmill is a place where corn is ground up to make tires.

Re:

[x2A (858210)]

hmm, my experience is the oposite... the smarter people tend to be skinny. The fat ones are often at most very good at the one thing they sit on their ass doing all day.

Re:Next Week

[metlin (258108)]

Really?

Funny, 99% of the really smart people I know play sports in some form or the other (adventure sports, martial arts, traditional sports, running etc) and don't really believe in sitting down and spending every waking hour doing something related to their area of expertise.

In fact, the *really* smart people I know tend to have a life (family, friends, sports, parties) and usually, it is the wannabes that I know who tend to fit the profile that you describe.

And I have found out that a combination of good workout and good diet often helps me concentrate better and sleep better.

For instance, cut yourself off from high sugar, caffeine and soda, eat salads and run 5 miles a day for a month and see how much your productivity increases. You'll find that you can do more, you sleep better and feel a lot healthier.

Besides, sports are a great way to get rid of your frustration. For instance, I do a lot of rock-climbing, and nothing to make you feel better than an eight hour straight climbing session out there.

Re:Next Week

[RockModeNick (617483)]

But man, work up to 5 miles a day. You'll burn out and die if you go right to that, start with half a mile, and increase over a few months. As someone that went from a tech school background to running 3 miles every day(until sciatic nerve problems stopped me), I can say for sure your atrophied legs will want time to get started.

Re:

[AzureWrathHal (949025)]

"For instance, cut yourself off from high sugar, caffeine and soda, eat salads and run 5 miles a day for a month and see how much your productivity increases. You'll find that you can do more, you sleep better and feel a lot healthier."

I don't know about you, but five miles a day eating salads and I'd feel a lot like killing myself.

I don't spend a few hours every day exercising so I can eat rabbit food.

Re:

[EastCoastSurfer (310758)]

Good point. 5 miles day on salads is a recipe for disaster. Even if you're trying to lose weight you don't want to put yourself into that high of a caloric deficit. A better idea is just start eating healthier foods. No more fast food, cookies, chips, etc... Instead eat lots of veggies, unprocessed meats, unprocessed carbs, and some good fats. You'd be surprised how much of the good food you can eat before you hit your calorie target.

Also, 5 miles/day isn't required to lose weight. In fact, if losing

Re:

[metlin (258108)]

I merely mentioned salads as an example of healthy food. You could eat grilled chicken salad for lunch and other lean foods which are rich in protein but are not calorie and fat heavy and stay healthy. In fact, you'd be amazed at the variety of salads that are available that are quite healthy and can sustain your body's needs. Hitting that calorie mark would be surprisingly hard.

Secondly, I was mentioning 5 miles/day not to lose weight but to stay in shape - I run to improve my stamina (I'm a climber) and t

Re:

[EastCoastSurfer (310758)]

Google HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and looked at the article linked. Sprinting burns more calories while doing the exercise and leads to an increased caloric usage for up to 48 hours after exercising. It also depletes a different glycogen store which leads to sprinting targeting fat more than steady state running (again read the article I originally linked or google HIIT).

If you don't want to read my link or google HIIT just trust me when I say I've switched people from steady state running to

Re:

[Vancorps (746090)]

Hey, Stallone is an artist. Sample Artwork [imagemakersart.com]

Stallone isn't dumb

[gatorflux (759239)]

Stallone is an accomplished script writer and a damned good businessman. Take a look at the deal he struck when he wrote and sold Rocky to the studio (he basically retained the rights to future sequels). Stallone has been able to fly under the radar because he sounds uneducated when he talks (due to an injury sustained at birth, if I remember correctly).

Re:Stallone isn't dumb

[x2A (858210)]

"It paralyzed one side of his face."

Wow, that happens to me too whenever I watch any of his films!

Exersize Is Good For You?

[ranton (36917)]

Wow, who would have thought that exersize actually improves your body in some way?

Re:Exersize Is Good For You?

[ranton (36917)]

Hmm, looks like I need more time on the treadmill because my spelling in that post was just horrible.

--

Back to Locke

[Kelson (129150)]

So here we are, once again, with Locke's ideal of a sound mind in a sound body.

The challenge for computer geeks: finding a way to merge exercise with mostly-sedentary hobbies and jobs. Perhaps it's a job for mobile computing: Set a tablet PC in front of a treadmill, and read Slashdot while running?

Re:Back to Locke

[svendsen (1029716)]

The really sad thing is you only need 30 mins of exercise a day and cut back on junk food to lose weight, be healthy, etc. The amount of excuses I hear is pathetic. Walk, bike, lift, get into a sport, etc. Problem is so many people think the virtual world is a better place to be.

How dare you sir

[Fifty Points (878668)]

I walk my virtual dog around Second Life every day you insensitive clod!

Re:

[Paulrothrock (685079)]

The virtual world is a better place to be. I can seek out people of common interests. I can block people who are jerks. I'm judged by my ability to form cogent arguments rather than my appearance or speech.

But, really, there's no reason you ever have to leave the virtual world. Most podcasts are about an hour long, which is plenty of time to get enough exercise. Plug in your earbuds and go for a walk. Turn around halfway through and do this three times a week. No need to leave the virtual world, and no nee

Re:

[Garret_Duran (1032634)]

Peddle powered Interwebs. The faster you peddle the more bandwidth you're allowed to use. Pirates would be the fittest people in the world!

Re:

[XxtraLarGe (551297)]

How about DDR [wikipedia.org] or EyeToy [wikipedia.org]?

Re:

[Rycross (836649)]

Or Wii and Wii Sports. I'm doing an experiment with that right now. I figure, its probably not as good as running, but its something thats easier for me to stick to. And if its not that great, I can at least develop the exercise habits and move into something better.

Re:Back to Locke

[Rycross (836649)]

Swimming and biking require social interaction? Aside from sports, a lot of exercise is primarily solitary. How many useful skills do you learn from exercise and sports really? How does using a video game to exercise preclude you from learning about your body or the fundamentals of exercise?

I don't get your opposition to using video games as an exercise tool. It seems to be more emotional than rational. Are you suggesting that there's somehow less value because you are exercising in a private place using technology?

Re:

[Rycross (836649)]

Are these skills so valuable that we have to put down other forms of exercise (such as using video games) as not being sufficient. After all, one of the acceptable exercises listed was walking. You can probably get more out of Wii Sports than you can out of walking if you put effort into it. And walking doesn't give you considerable skills.

Skills may be a bonus, but I don't see them as earth-shattering things. Maybe you can run faster, or swim a little bit better. Its not going to help me in my everyda

Re:Back to Locke

[TrappedByMyself (861094)]

I prefer furious masterbation

Re:

[superpulpsicle (533373)]

Does furious boost your IQ more than non-furious?

Re:

[Rogerborg (306625)]

-1, redundant; we've already had a post about Wii Sports.

Re:

[hab136 (30884)]

The challenge for computer geeks: finding a way to merge exercise with mostly-sedentary hobbies and jobs.

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii [nintendo.com]

So if I go jogging

[pfortuny (857713)]

I will develop some mouse cells in my brain?

What's the catch? Have I missed something?

Do I need more jogging?

FTA

[MyLongNickName (822545)]

"Exercise generated blood flow to the dentate gyrus of the people, and the more fit a person got, the more blood flow the MRI detected, the researchers found."

However, if your gym looks like this [cnn.net] one shown in the article, I think the blood will flow elsewhere

Re:

[ranton (36917)]

Are you kidding me? The gym I went to in college makes that picture look conservative. Made going to the gym just a little bit more enjoyable. Many women wear more clothes on the beach than they do in the gym. Thank god for that.

--

That explains it!

[decipher_saint (72686)]

That explains all those pro-quarterback particle theorists! "Gauge bosons are like running backs right? They gotta take the elemental forces of the universe to the end zone."

Re:That explains it!

[XxtraLarGe (551297)]

That explains all those pro-quarterback particle theorists!

Well, just imagine how stupid some jocks might be if they DIDN'T work out!

Re:

[Guy Harris (3803)]

That explains all those pro-quarterback particle theorists!

No, not particle theory, complex analysis [wikipedia.org].

This proves what I suspected all along...

[negated (981743)]

...Stephen Hawking benchpresses bulldozers when no one is watching!

No brainer

[twifosp (532320)]

This sounds like a no brainer to me. The brain needs oxygen to make chemical and electrical reactions. The brain will get the most blood circulation, thus carrying the most fresh oxygen, during and after exercise. Furthermore lots of exercise promotes a healthy cardiovascular and central nervous system. Something that can only improve the brain.

I know that after I complete a heavy lifting routine or a good cardio work out, I feel great for the rest of the day. I think clearer. I don't feel any craving

Science! You gotta love it.

[w33t (978574)]

So if I couple the above article with this one [newscientist.com] then I can only assume that I am supposed to exercise and smoke a whole lot of pot while I do it.

I can't exercise!

[Pedrito (94783)]

Dude, this sucks. A year and a half ago you guys said that cannabinoids induce brain growth [slashdot.org] and man, I've really been putting that theory to the test. But now you want me to exercise? I can't do both dude. And given a choice... I think I'll stick with the old news...

Whoop de doo...

[JRHelgeson (576325)]

Thats like great and all, but when is somebody going to do something about how fat I am?

Re:Ya, I'm not so sure...

[AKAImBatman (238306)]

Why are so many "body builder" types so dumb then?

They're not "dumb", but they're also not necessarily the intellectual type. From what I've seen, the reason for that is that your intellectual spends too much time in an introverted state to worry about the world around them. Regular exercise is not engaging to their internal senses, so they tend to find it "boring". The more extroverted types get their engagement from the world around them, and thus find pleasure in physical activity.

Re:

[Lumpy (12016)]

Please list the number of Nobel prise winning Boxers.

Ok, list the number of them that can name all 50 states and count without looking at their hands and feet.

sorry, but most atheletes, specifically the pound each other type are not the brightest. I've never met a smart rugby player, But they are handy in a brawl.

Re:Ya, I'm not so sure...

[Rycross (836649)]

There aren't any nobel prize winning boxers because they are devoting their time to boxing and not to science. I'd suspect you could find some nobel prize winners that work out.

Re:Ya, I'm not so sure...

[Big_Al_B (743369)]

Actually, I remember reading about a study that indicated genius level processing in peak performing athletes. For example, an NFL quarterback can identify 3 - 5 potential receivers, track their viability, and decide how to execute a play in under a second--while avoiding defenders.

I would argue that such ability takes a level of intelligence that, if applied to other pursuits, would be widely recognized as remarkable.

Re:

[RootWind (993172)]

I would suspect it is because they don't actually try to actively use their minds? (assuming this is entirely true) For instance, giving someone who doesn't exercise anabolic steroids would not turn them into a strong person.

Re:simultaneous death/regrowth?

[Daishiman (698845)]

High performance sporting is not healthy. Repeat: NOT healthy. I've been training for marathons with an Olympic athlete who consistently runs 42K in under 2 hours 15 minutes. He needs to take a continuos stream of dietary supplements and run 25 kilometers daily, use special cushioning on all his footwear to compensate for the deformation that the impact of running produces, and keep an extremely strict dietary regimen, not to mention constant sports massages to keep himself from cramping as well as a myriad of other things.

Being a professional means pushing your body to extremes it was not meant to take. We're not built to run such distances at those speeds.

Remember though, that only applies to the 0.001% of the population that plays professionally and has masochistic tendencies. Your average slashdotter should get off its ass and at the very least walk a half hour daily. I know that ever since I started running in the morning my day feels much better than before, and indeed I do feel sharper.

Re:

[rapidweather (567364)]

Bicycling for exercise:

When I started bicycling, outdoors, each day I would tackle the same hill, and see how long it took to get up there, and back down. Used one of those handlebar bicycle computers. Going up, when it got hard, lots of cuss words were appropriate to the pain and extreme effort. That in itself did not boost brainpower, the same ones seemed appropriate on each assent. Soon, I varied the ride, going other places in the same outing. Looking for some more hills, where I could exercise my verba