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Run for your memory!

Posted by: Rosie Brogan (Sleep, Stress & Your Mind)
12 June 2012

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New research from UNSW has found that exercise helps preserve memory. Rosie Brogan investigates.

There’s just no end in sight for the roll of ‘good news’ regarding what a little huff and puff can do for your brain.

Sure, we know exercise relaxes us, helps cut cortisol levels and generally makes us nicer people (okay, made the last one up but I swear it’s true).

But the research gets even more promising…

Just last month the University of NSW presented evidence at its annual neuroscience symposium that the act of running may trigger the production of new brain cells throughout our lives.

Neuroscientist Dr Henriette van Praag from the US National Institute on Ageing demonstrated a causal link between exercise and brain regeneration, or neurogenesis, in the brains of mice.

“What is most exciting is that a cheap, simple, lifestyle intervention like exercise can influence the production and integrity of new nerve cells in the brain, which suggests our behavioural choices have influence over the functionality of our brains.

“Exercising mice added the most new brain cells when they were young, so it would seem that being young and active is a very good thing for cognitive development,” she says.

Though, as UNSW’s media spokesperson Stephen Offner adds: as neurogenesis continues throughout life (up until about the age of 70!) these findings suggest impressive brain benefits from exercise across all age groups—not just youngsters.

Now that’s good news. But, it’s important to note that more research is needed in this area and to generalise the effects found in mice to humans is premature.

References available upon request.

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