EXB #15 exercise and the brain
does exercise effect neurogenesis or synapsis genisis
# of neurons = # of cells neurogenesis-making new neurons synapsis- making new synapsis/ connections between neurons. important for connecting neurons, making them functional - both increases functionality which is directly related to how many and how well connected the neurons are.
how can exercising help with depression etc.
- produces CAT which works with the kyarenin hormone which blocks it from going into the brain.
how much exercise do you need
- very little, not much -as little as 15 min (40%)
how is it that when we exercise, the brain is getting a stimulus to increase the number of brain cells we have
- when we exercise, our brains get a signal that we are exercising and is producing local factors/hormones that will go around the brain and are going to have the affect - these hormones circulate around your body. either through your bloodstream(like sex hormones) and effects every tissue in the body. this is called an endocrine hormone - how this works is that theres a cell in your brain which will produce a hormone and put it out into everywhere else in the body, as far away from where it was made. (global/ effects all cells_ - 2 types of local hormones -autocrine, goes to cells like itself. -paracrine, goes to a neighboring cell - we do both types.
we do endurance exercise to improve 2 things
-cardiovascular function -only known stimulus that grows your brain
exercise the brain
-endurance increases the volume of regions of the brain involved in learning and memory -the brain grows because there is an increase in neurons and is also started in utero -an increase in these neurons in the hippocampus when we exercise (aerobically) can overcome genetic factors and increase learning, memory, and intelligence. brain mass grows too.
how does this work
-increased hippocampus (the area in the brain associated with memory) -cortex(sense things and react to them) increases with exercise too -younger brains learn better/ remember more, than older brains -exercising will allow both young and old brains, grow and learn at the same rate
how exercise is related to strength and intelligence
-intelligence is hard to measure -strength is easier -"sound body sound mind" -if you are more frail, your mental capacity is hindered too - when you increase endurance/aerobic exercise, you increase your intelligence.
difference between doing endurance to improve brain growth and strength training.
-strength will support a sound body, which supports a sound mind but is not giving the stimulus you need to increase brain cell mass
mental benefits of exercise
3 benefits 1. improves learning and memory (can prove physiologically) 2. grows/regenerates brain cells 3. prevents depression
correlation vs causation
correlation- a relationship between the connectivity between 2+ things. Associates 2 thing, does not cause things. causation- relationships between cause and effect. denotes that every time the cause happens, the affect will follow.