Just Remember This: Exercise Boosts Memory

No, BDNF is not the texting shorthand for “be dissolute now and forever.” It’s the acronym for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which, as Gretchen Reynolds explains in the New York Times Well column, is known to promote the health of nerve cells– a good thing. Reynolds reports on research conducted in Ireland that put a group of college students through a memory test in which they watched photos of faces and names flash quickly before their eyes. The students were then told to take a break, shown the photos, and asked to recall the names. At that point, half of the group was given a stationary bike and asked to ride to near exhaustion, while the other half sat quietly. When tested again, Reynolds reports, “exercised volunteers performed significantly better on the memory test than they had on their first try, while the volunteers who had rested did not improve.” Wait there’s more. Blood tests taken throughout the process showed that the exercisers has significantly higher levels of BDNF than those who did not exercise, suggesting, as other research has, that exercise induced BDNF may improve mental functions. Think about it.  Read more in the New York Times.