Why Exercise Improves Memory, Mood, and Brain Function, according to New Research


We are aware that exercise is healthy for your body. However, a recent study sheds light on why exercise is so beneficial for your brain in particular. According to co-author of the paper Mychael Vinicius Lourenco, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, "important messengers [that] stimulate the function and coordinate homeostasis with many other organs, including the liver, kidney, and, of course, the brain," myokines are the key players in all of this. The authors of the report, Lourenco and his collaborators evaluated previous studies and were able to demonstrate that the muscles and the brain connect in a variety of fascinating ways.


Your muscles contract when you run, stroll, lift weights, do Pilates, or do any other form of exercise. Myokines are released from your muscles as a result of contraction. These chemicals then spread throughout your body, instructing your organs to essentially start working and get to work. Some myokine subtypes can enter your brain without passing through the blood-brain barrier. When these molecules are inside your noodles, what do they do?


Irisin, hydroxybutyrate, and other myokines have been demonstrated to enhance neuronal function and facilitate synapses, which are the means through which neurons communicate with one another, according to Lourenco. They specifically move to parts of the brain that control your mood and support learning and memory. They then engage in a variety of brain-enhancing activities, including assisting your brain in the formation of new neurons, creating new connections and strengthening those that already exist, and improving your executive function, memory, and mood. Everything that makes you the thinking machine that you are is pretty damn significant.


There is no right or incorrect technique to increase your brain capacity through your body, according to Lourenco. All exercise that involves muscle contraction should have these effects. Any regular exercise is beneficial as long as it is done consistently and according to a particular person's recommendation, according to Lourenco.