Posted on 10/21/2024 9:31:35 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Decades of exercise research data support the common view that steady workouts over the long haul produce not only physical benefits but also improved brain function. But what about single bursts of exercise? A team has taken a closer look.
Focusing on subjects between 18–45 years old, first author Jordan Garrett and the team screened thousands of exercise studies published between 1995 and 2023 to determine the consistent trends in the literature. Based on the results of their modeling approach, cycling and high intensity interval training (HIIT) produced the most consistent effects in improvement of memory, attention, executive function, information processing and other cognitive functions.
"We found that vigorous activities had the largest effects," Giesbrecht said. "Also, the effects were strongest for studies that tested cognition after exercise, as opposed to during exercise. And lastly, the effects of exercise less than 30 minutes in duration were bigger than those that went beyond 30 minutes. Our work showed the strongest evidence for a positive effect of single bouts of exercise on cognition and that this evidence was impacted by a variety of factors."
Also among their findings, the team discovered that executive functioning was the key cognitive domain impacted by vigorous exercise, such as HIIT protocols.
"I think that the other intriguing result is that the overall effect of a single bout of exercise was generally on the small side," Giesbrecht said, noting that besides the variability across the experiments, the enhancements may also be small because they are typically measured when the physical activity is not related to the cognitive task. This raises the "intriguing" hypothesis, he added, that perhaps using tasks that require the integration of actions of our body and cognitive systems may result in more pronounced benefits.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
>> Less than 30 minutes of higher-intensity exercise was the sweet spot for helping executive functioning in the brain.
Does hopping up from an online meeting and running into the kitchen for a cup of coffee or a handful of snacks encompass this “less than 30 minutes of higher-intensity exercise”?
(asking for a friend)
Exactly what Dr. Cooper found to be the sweet spot for aerobic conditioning. 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week or 20 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week.
It seems likely increasing the aerobic capacity of the body results in better brain function.
My exercise routine is about 22-25 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week. I occasionally skip a day.
I consider getting off th3 couch to go to the kitchen for a snack a burst of exercise
I used to do this type of exercise every day and metabolic and brain function were amazing. I have reduced it to two times a week now and the other days i do strength training and zone 2 cardio primarily. i have no idea if my new exercise program is better but i was finding too many injuries with too much HIIT.
Do the sprints on a ski machine, rowing machine, or stationary bicycle.
Non-impact is key, unless running on grass.
You are exactly right that using those types of equipment reduce injury in the medium term….BUT the reason I want to minimize their use and do things that require a bit more athleticism is that eventually (38 years from now) I will be 90 years old and i will need to be athletic enough to avoid fracturing my hip because i trip on some stairs.
When I do athletic stuff I try not to do it in fatigued state, like with HIIT, because of the injury risk.
Exercise is fascinating though….i find myself getting obsessed with it in my 50s.
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