Posted on 05/16/2024 6:27:30 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Exercise prompts muscles to release molecular cargo that boosts brain cell function and connection, but the process is not well understood. New research has found that the nerves that tell muscles to move also prompt them to release more of the brain-boosting factors.
"The molecules released from the muscle go into the bloodstream and then to the brain." said Hyunjoon Kong.
"As we get older, we lose these neurons from the muscle," he said.
The researchers compared two muscle tissue models—one with neuron innervation and one without. They found that the innervated muscle produced more molecules that promote brain neuron activity and regulate muscle development than the muscle without nerves.
Then, the researchers stimulated the nerves with glutamate, a neurotransmitter. They found that the innervated muscle emitted higher levels of the hormone irisin, which is associated with beneficial effects of exercise, and released more extracellular vesicles than plain muscle.
"We analyzed the cargo carried in the vesicles, and we found that there was a greater diversity of microRNA associated with impact on neurodevelopment," said Huang. "These findings highlight the importance of neuron innervation. As we get older, we lose nerve supply to muscle, and our muscles start to break down and lose function. And somehow, this can further result in organ dysfunction."
"It's our individual organs talking to each other: The brain tells the nerves to stimulate the muscle, and the muscle releases back molecules beneficial for brain function," Kong said. "It underscores the importance of exercise. Exercise creates a more robust interface between motor neurons and muscle, and now we know the nerves sending the signal into the muscle releases the molecules and extracellular vesicles that are beneficial to the brain. So we could look at the benefits of exercise focused on fostering that connection."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Irisin: Lose Weight, Increase Cognition, and Fight Aging
https://mybiohack.com/blog/irisin-fndc5-ppar-alpha-ucp1
Bfl
Good news!
Yesterday, I ran 5K just before I rode my bike 27 miles to a neighboring town. Today my whole body has been griping to my brain about that!
And yet another reason elderly adults who are mobile and exercise help their brain more doing that, than doing crossword puzzles or mental problems. Its not just this, but physical movement also stimulates more parts of the brain to work the body properly.
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