How you can help your brain through exercise and info on how cholesterol impacts the brain.

A bubble bath of endorphins, dopamine, BDNF for our brain when we exercise?

I think we all have been in a place where we’re supposed to get our butt off the couch to work out, but we just don’t want to. But when we fall back on discipline to get it done anyway, we always feel better. But did you know there is some science behind why we feel better afterwards? Apart from just because “we did it”? Did you know that you might actually be helping your brain? Improving learning capabilities and help manage emotions better?

Science has emerged greatly on this subject and there is still so much more research to do. But every time we move our body and get our heart rate up creating good blood flow… it’s like giving your brain an amazing bubble bath of neurochemicals!  We start releasing dopamine, endorphins, growth factors and probably one of the most important is BDNF! Brain-derived neurotrophic factors stimulate neurogenesis! You’ve probably heard about neuroplasticity (new connections/rewire), well neurogenesis is the process where we make new brain cells!

“Perhaps the most impressive success story connecting exercise to improved brain function is the Learning Readiness Physical Education Program, founded as the Zero Hour PE program at Naperville Central High School in Chicago in the 1990s (5). The original purpose of the program was to examine whether working out before school would improve a student’s learning capacity in the classroom. Since the program’s inception and through its evolution, students in this school district now rank among the fittest and smartest in the nation.

In fact, this district’s eighth graders have outperformed the US national average on the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMMS), even beating out many students in China, Japan and Singapore who have traditionally outranked American students. So what is going on?” Check out this blog from NASM https://blog.nasm.org/fitness/boosting-brain-fitness-understanding-brain-exercise-connection 

Okay, so how much exercise do you need to start up the whirlpool and get those bubbles going to nourish the brain? From the same blog as noted above, they reiterated the following – 

“Low-to-moderate intensities of cardio stimulate increases BDNF, but little increases in IGF-1. By comparison, moderate-to-vigorous intensities of cardio (> 65% of VO2max) increases levels of BDNF, VEGF, FGF-2, IGF-1, and even human growth hormone (HGH) which contributes to building brain mass. Resistance training performed two times a week also demonstrates increases in BDNF, VEGF, FGF-2, IGF-1 and HGH. Exercising daily versus on alternate days results in greater increase in BDNF (150% v. 124%), but levels become equal after about four weeks of training (10). Exercise also improves the efficiency of our BBB and promotes greater balance between many of our brain’s neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate and GABA, which will positively affect moods and cognition. Although much research points towards 30-minutes of exercise, two to three times a week, John Ratey, author of Spark and A User’s Guide to the Brain (3, 11), cites that just eight to twelve minutes a day of exercise that evokes a sweat and labored-breathing (i.e., approximately 60% of maximum heart rate or higher) is adequate to demonstrate increase in many of these compounds like BDNF.”

The only thing I don’t necessarily recommend from their blog is the fish oil. I would consider an alternative to the fish oil they recommend, but of course with your providers guidance. The medical community (especially some Cardiologists) have started to change their stance on recommending fish oil due to the ratio of saturated fats vs omegas is out of balance. The saturated fats are clogging up the arteries. Why is that important to know? Carotid arteries supply 80% of the blood flow to your brain (you can feel them on the sides of your neck) and the vertebral arteries supply 20% run up the spinal column up into the brain. Because the brain relies on only two sets of major arteries for its blood supply, it is very important that these arteries are healthy. Often, the underlying cause of a stroke is carotid arteries blocked with a fatty buildup, called plaque. It is imperative (literally) to have healthy cholesterol. And they are finding that about 50% of those even with normal cholesterol levels, still have plaque build-up. A huge part is due to the high saturated and trans-fat consumption in processed foods, processed meats, dairy, vegetable oils, and too many egg yolks. And unfortunately angiograms (or something similar) are not a routine test if one is worried about possible plaque. Not all fats are created equal folks. A lot of people are just as confused about fats as they are carbohydrates. We absolutely need fats (just like carbs), just the right ones. Topic for a different day that I’m happy to help with. In the interim, 1-2 Tablespoon of ground flaxseed every day is a helpful way to get in some of your omegas (essential) along with other omega rich foods on the daily. Ground flaxseed is actually a superstar superfood. Focus also on foods such as avocados, seeds (like pumpkin and chia seeds), green leafy vegetables, or an algae supplement! Another superstar are nuts, especially walnuts! Likely one of the healthiest you can consume! A handful of those a day helps the brain (boy doesn’t it look like one too), hmmm. All amazing for brain power and other major functions of our body! All of the nutrients derived from fish can be obtained from plant sources without the mercury, dioxins, PCBS, microplastics, and other toxins, parasites, rancidity, and environmental degradation.

Another cool article if it’s of interest – https://dana.org/article/how-does-exercise-affect-the-brain/ 

Side notes as I had someone ask about olive oil. We know whole foods are good; partial and processed foods are typically not helpful. Oil is not a whole food, it’s the fatty part of what was a whole food with its fiber stripped. So instead of olive oil, eat the olive. Instead of coconut oil, eat the coconut. You get the gist. Don’t be afraid of plant-food fats! WE NEED THEM! The fat from the whole food is good for us, just not when a factory processes it into just a concentrated fat. Plus, if you are watching your cholesterol and/or waistline, oil is extremely calorie dense, not nutrient dense surprisingly. Oil contains very little micronutrients with only (sometimes) a little bit of omega 3, and depending on the type of oil – highly dense in saturated fats. Yes I am happy to discuss the Mediterranean diet too. It wasn’t the olive oil contributing to health… I tend to use avocado oil for cooking when I need a “little” to oil my pain.

I’ll leave you with this – what we do once in a while typically is not an issue, it is what we do consistently is what either can help us or harm us over time. Lets move our body to help increase cognitive function, better memory, quicker learning patterns, and boost your feel good chemicals!