Jogging protects the memory and helps us to reduce stress

Regular exercise can protect the brain?

Most people are aware that having enough exercise helps reduce stress. Exercise does not just affect stress management, it also protects the brain and memory from the negative effects of stress. Researchers now found that regular jogging mitigates the negative effects of chronic stress on the hippocampus.

Researchers at Brigham Young University found during their study that jogging can help protect memory. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Neurobiology of Learning and Memory".

Jogging is good for the body and mind. The regular exercise even protects our brain from the negative effects of stress. (Image: Wellnhofer Designs / fotolia.com)

How do I protect my brain from stress??

Exercise is a simple and cost-effective way to eliminate the negative effects of chronic stress on memory, explains study author Professor Jeff Edwards of Brigham Young University.

What is long-term potentiation?

When people learn something, the synapses involved in the learning process increase their transmission strength. Within the hippocampus optimal memory formation takes place when the synapses (connections between neurons) are strengthened over time. This process of synaptic amplification is also referred to as long-term potentiation (LTP). Chronic or prolonged stress weakens synapses, which reduces long-term potentiation and ultimately negatively affects memory. However, the LTP level does not decrease when exercise is associated with stress, say the scientists.

Researchers performed experiments on mice

For their study, the researchers performed experiments with mice. One group of these animals used wheels over a period of four weeks. On average, the animals in these wheels traveled the equivalent of a distance of five kilometers per day, the authors explain. By contrast, the other group remained predominantly sedentary. Half of each group was then exposed to stressful situations such as walking on a raised platform or swimming in cold water. One hour after the stress induction, the researchers performed electrophysiological experiments on the animals' brains to measure long-term potentiation.

Effects of training in the mice

When the mice had trained in the impeller, the long term potentiation was significantly increased compared to the group with non-moving mice. Memory tests in a labyrinth also showed that the trained mice achieved better results and also made fewer mistakes in their memory. The findings illustrate that exercise is a viable way to protect learning and memory from the negative cognitive effects of chronic stress on the brain, the experts explain.

Avoid stress and do enough exercise

It would be ideal for learning and improving memory if those affected are not under stress and in addition to doing enough exercise, says Professor Edwards. "Of course we can not always control stress in our lives, but we can control how much we exercise. It is encouraging to know that we can fight the negative effects of stress on our brains by going out and starting to walk, "the medical expert adds in a Brigham Young University press release.

20 minutes of cardiovascular exercises a day protect the brain

While we can never completely eliminate stress from our lives, it's nice to know that we can easily do 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a day to prevent overloading our brains and compensate for the negative effects of lack of exercise, researchers said. (As)