In animal studies, the protein BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) promoted the ability to remember, improved learning and increased overall mental fitness. So a new human study looked at how best to increase the amount of this protein. It turned out that short but intense exercise (six minutes of vigorous cycling) was the most efficient way to do this, compared to longer light exercise (90 minutes of slow cycling) and a day of fasting: BDNF changed little with fasting, with longer, light ones Activity increased it slightly, but intense activity increased it four to fivefold. The study results are published in the journal “Journal of Physiology”.
It is not yet known exactly why this is so. Researchers speculate that during intense physical activity, the brain alters its metabolism to meet suddenly increased energy demands. By allowing the brain to derive energy from lactate rather than glucose, metabolic pathways that release BDNF into the blood are activated. Another possibility might be that exercise increases the number of blood platelets that contain a lot of BDNF.
Travis Gibbons of the University of Otago in New Zealand said: “We are now studying how multi-day fasting affects BDNF. We believe that fasting and exercise can be used together to optimize BDNF production in the human brain.”
Which: DOI 10.1113/JP283582
