Exercise Boosts Your Brainpower

Part 1: The Basics

Have you ever noticed that people who exercise a lot tend to have more energy and move around more quickly than people who don't? Whether they're out for a walk, grocery shopping, or browsing the romance novels at Barnes and Noble, they always seem to be moving around in a world that's about a half speed faster than it should be. It's kind of like watching a mound of mongooses - even though the next burrow is only a half step away they act like it might suddently disappear if they don't move at warp speed. Even when you're having a conversation with an avid exerciser you can feel the intensity behind their thoughts, and it seems like it takes great effort for them to wait around for you to answer. It's like they're running high octane unleaded when everyone else is fueled by ethanol. Read the next two paragraphs and you'll understand why they're like that.

Your brain is made up of billions of brain cells called neurons, and like all the other cells in your body your neurons need oxygen and nutrients to survive. If they don't get enough oxygen or nutrients they die. Here's a clear example of this: during a stroke the blood supply to a portion of your brain is temporarily cut off, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching that part of your brain. This results in the death of millions of brain cells. If the blood supply was cut off to the part of your brain that controls movement, you've now lost the neurons that were important for helping you move, leaving you partially paralyzed. But it doesn't have to take a stroke to kill brain cells. In fact, thousands of your brain cells die every day because they don't get the oxygen and nutrients they need to stay alive. You can imagine that the death of all these brain cells can quickly add up as you get older, leaving you with a much deteriorated brain in old age. In fact, one study found that tissue losses are as high as 25% in CRITICAL areas of your brain¹! This is precisely why elderly people lose cognitive abilities as they age.

So what does this have to do with exercise? Exercise strengthens your cardiovascular system - the system responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body through your blood vessels, including to your BRAIN. If your cardiovascular system is stronger and more robust, the ability of your cells to obtain oxygen and nutrients is improved. Another study showed that AEROBIC EXERCISE INCREASES THE DENSITY OF BLOOD VESSELS IN THE BRAIN². If your brain cells can obtain oxygen and nutrients more effectively, it allows you to THINK better. It also prevents the death of thousands of brain cells every day. This makes your brain more POWERFUL, more EFFICIENT, and QUICKER, just like the rest of your body. After all, why shouldn't exercise make your brain stronger if it makes the rest of your body stronger? Your brain cells aren't magical and weren't transported into your body from another planet (though some might argue); they run on the same basic machinery that the rest of your cells run on. So if oxygen and nutrients make all those cells work better, then isn't it pretty obvious that they would make your brain cells work better? I think so.

Now you know exactly why people who exercise seem to live in a world that runs in overdrive - their cardiovascular systems transfer oxygen and nutrients to their brain cells more quickly and more efficiently because they have a BETTER cardiovascular system than people who don't exercise. They literally FLIP ON GENES that make their cardiovascular system STRONGER which has a profound impact on on the power of their brawn AND brain. Want some more to chew on? Try this: The three healthiest cities in America are San Jose, Washington D.C. and San Francisco (Sperling's BestPlaces), they are also three of the top 10 smartest cities in America (Forbes Magazine). But that must just be a big coincidence, right? I don't think so. Put on some tennis shoes and hit the pavement with "Stayin' Alive" on your iPod and that's exactly what your brain cells will be doing - Ah, ha, ha, ha! Stayin' Alive! Stayin' Alive!

Here's the take-home message:

Cardiovascular exercise makes your whole cardiovascular system stronger, which means oxygen and nutrients reach your brain cells more efficiently, keeping them alive and making your entire brain FASTER, more EFFICIENT, and MORE POWERFUL. Does that sound like it might help you reach your potential?

References:

Colcombe SJ et al. Aerobic fitness reduces brain tissue loss in aging humans. J. Gerontology: MED SCI 2:176-180. 2003.
Cotman CW, Berchtold NC. Exercise: a behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity. Trends Neurosci. 25:295-301. 2002