Exercise cures the brain? "Active" aerobic exercise improves brain cognitive function! Study: Linked to dopamine release
Does aerobic exercise improve cognitive function? Research: Related to dopamine secretion
The “pleasure” produced after exercise, such as the feeling of joy and happiness, is one of the phenomena of the brain secreting “dopamine”. Actively performing aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function and shorten the “reaction time” (RT) of the cognitive process. It can also Something to do with dopamine? A new study found through positron tomography that moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise causes the brain to release endogenous dopamine (DA), thereby improving reaction time, and the reaction must occur when the exercise is actively performed by the brain. Positive cognitive function benefits of time reduction.
A latest study conducted by the University of Portsmouth in the UK and the University of Electro-Communications in Japan recruited 52 men to conduct three experiments. First, positron scans were used to record brain damage. In the subject’s state, in the second experiment, the subject took a supine position to ride a bicycle while performing cognitive tasks; in the third experiment, cycling was replaced by electrical muscle stimulation to force muscle movement and perform cognitive tasks. In the second and third experiments, positron scans were used to detect brain image changes and reaction times.
This study combined “voluntary” and “involuntary” exercise types, and the results showed that when performing higher-intensity strenuous physical training, the brain increases the release of endogenous dopamine, thereby shortening the reaction time of cognitive processing. However, forced muscle movements (electrical stimulation) from outside failed to produce the same benefits. It means that when the brain commands muscles to move during physical activity, this process helps the brain release dopamine.
The relationship between exercise, blood oxygen levels, and cognitive performance
Joe Costello, professor of exercise and health sciences at the University of Portsmouth, said that past literature has shown that aerobic exercise can improve cognitive ability, but the biochemical mechanism of why exercise enhances cognitive function has not yet been fully clarified. Now, with more advanced brain imaging technology, the research team is able to analyze the relationship between the subjects’ blood oxygen levels, cognitive performance and movement patterns during the three experiments.
Judging from the current results, it can be proven that the improvement of cognitive function during exercise is affected by dopamine, which is positively related to the improvement of brain cognitive function and shortened reaction time. Other influencing factors include brain blood flow, alertness and motivation to participate.
Exercise prescription could improve treatments for Parkinson’s disease, depression and other diseases
Cognitive dysfunction is considered to be the most important health problem for humans in an aging society, and abnormalities in dopamine secretion are more closely related to Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, ADHD, addiction, Depression and other diseases. Soichi Ando, associate professor at the Health and Sports Science Laboratory of the University of Electro-Communications in Japan, said that from the experimental findings of whether reducing voluntary muscle control can also improve cognitive abilities, it seems that exercise behavior must send signals from the brain center to be healthy for the brain. beneficial.
The benefits of exercise in reducing mortality and extending lifespan have been confirmed by many epidemiological studies. The best medical treatment is an “exercise prescription” that medical staff can give to different patients and suitable for their own conditions. The research team claimed that this study can initially confirm that exercise prescription has the opportunity to be applied as an effective treatment for different health conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases and mental illnesses related to dopamine secretion. However, there are still research limitations such as insufficient sample size, and we will continue to include women, middle-aged and elderly people and other groups for long-term research.
Source: The neuromodulatory role of dopamine in improved reaction time by acute cardiovascular exercise
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