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The Revolutionary New Science

on Exercise and the Brain
Lindsay Orbeta, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian
Visa 101 Series

We are born movers

modern human genome remains unchanged

since time of hunter-gatherers

sedentary lifestyle poses biggest threat to our continued survival

65% adults overweight or obese

10% U.S. population has Type 2 Diabetes

inactivity kills brain cells

The brain is an adaptable organ

Exercise can reverse depression and age-related diseases

Research from Duke University in 2000 showed exercise is better

than Zoloft at treating depression

Darwin: learning is the survival mechanism we use to adapt to

constantly changing environments

Plasticity: the brain can be molded by input like a muscle can be

sculpted by weights

Brain is not hard-wired

Neural Anatomy 101

Neurotransmitter

Neural Anatomy 101

80%

signals in brain carried out by:

glutamate: initiates cascade

gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA): stops activity

Regulatory

neurotransmitters:

Serotonin: mood, impulsivity, anger, aggressiveness

Norepinephrine: attention, perception, motivation,
arousal
Dopamine: learning, reward, attention, movement

Ritalin dopamine levels

Neurogenesis

We do grow new brain cells!

Neurons born as blank-slate stem cells

Must plug into cell network <28 days

For

a cell to survive, it must

integrate into the
signaling community

brain-derived neurotropic factor

(BDNF)
BDNF:

builds & maintains cells circuitry

nourishes brain neurons like a fertilizer

BDNF allows synapses to:

process, associate, remember and contextualize info

BDNF applied to neurons in a petri dish sprouts new

dendritic branches

BDNF is Miracle Grow for the brain!

BDNF and exercise

BDNF
levels

Nights running
per week

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BDNF

Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF1)

Released by the muscles after prolonged activity

~90 mins exercise, when glycogen is low

Glucose is sole energy source for the brain

IGF-1 in the brain NOT related to fuel management- but to

learning

Evolutionary adaptation to locate food in the environment?

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

(VEGF)

builds capillaries and blood vessels in the brain

provides greater delivery of oxygen and nutrients

lowers the permeability of BBB

opens up filter into the brain, allowing

more factors through during exercise

Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF-2)

Enhances growth of new brain tissue

blood flow shifts back to brain immediately after intense exercise

* Consider a 15 minute fast-paced run at lunch time;

this would be ideal time to focus on a project which demands sharp

thinking/ complex analysis

Exercise improves the rate of learning

people learn vocab words 20% faster following exercise compared to

before exercise

rate of learning correlated to BDNF

Exercise improves creativity

40 adults, aged 50-64 yrs, who either:

Jogged for 35 mins on treadmill @ 60-70% of H.R. max

Watched a movie

Participants then asked to give alternative uses for common objects

Only joggers had improved processing speed & cognitive

flexibility

Have important morning brainstorming session scheduled?

try a short, intense workout before work

Exercise prescription

Endurance exercise creates a thicker myelin sheath around

nerve fibers.

improves impulse speed & circuit efficiency

Complex motor skills which engage nerve cells throughout

the brain:

rock-climbing, soccer, tennis

gymnastics, plyometrics

yoga, ballet, pilates, salsa

endurance vs. complex motor skill

Rats trained for 2 weeks to either:

run

walk across balance beam & climb ladders

Acrobatic rats had a 35% BDNF in cerebellum

Running rats had none

challenging movements create synaptic connections;

recruited by other areas of the brain

BDNF

atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)

ANP =

Exercise and metabolic health

Exercise and cancer

23/35

studies showed an increased risk of breast

cancer for inactive women

physically-active

people have a 50% less chance

of developing colon cancer

Active

men > 65yrs have a 70% lower chance of

developing advanced form of prostate cancer

Effect of exercise on
depression and anxiety

Exercise breaks down adipose tissue > free fatty acids

Fats compete with tryptophan for a slot on transport proteins into the
brain

Tryptophan in the brain is a building block for serotonin

Serotonin is our built-in Prozac

Creates immediate sense of reward

& well-being

BDNF also boosts serotonin levels

Exercise and depression

8,023 residents in Alameda County followed for 23 years

Surveyed residents about their health and lifestyles in

1965, 1974 and 1983

Healthy-people who became inactive were 1 x more likely to

have depression by 1983 than those who exercised regularly

Sedentary individuals who became active were no more likely to

become depressed than those who were active at the start

Changing your exercise habits changes your risk for depression!

Exercise better than Prozac?

16-week trial called SMILE

Standard Medical Intervention and Long-term Exercise

all 156 subjects had depression

3 groups: Zoloft, exercise, or combination of both

Exercisers walked or jogged @ 75-80% of aerobic capacity for 45 mins

Results:

All 3 groups showed a significant drop in depression

of each group went completely into remission

Exercise and blood flow to brain

Healthy subjects underwent 3-month exercise regimen,

Capillary volume in memory area of the hippocampus

increased 30%

In conclusion

Exercise has been shown to:

Initiate growth of new brain cells

Improve cognition, memory and concentration

Decrease depression, anxiety and stress

Exercise imparts self-mastery and self-confidence

Gives you an alternative to negative coping mechanisms for stress

The feeling of needing to exercise daily is less about surviving

and more about thriving!