Only 6 minutes of exercise a day promotes the formation of important proteins in the brain and prevents dementia

The meaning of life lies in sports, and exercise and health are positively correlated
.
Exercise is one of the
most important behaviors to improve and maintain our physical health.
More and more studies have shown that exercise has many benefits, helping to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, improve mood, and even improve the treatment of
many cancers.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a special protein that aids in learning and memory, promotes neuroplasticity and neuronal survival, and may be the basis of
some of these neuroprotective effects.

Researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand published a research paper
titled "Fasting for 20 h does not affect exercise-induced increases in circulating BDNF in humans" in The Journal of Physiology.

The study shows that just six minutes of vigorous exercise a day can prevent dementia
.
Short, high-intensity exercise increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which is essential for brain formation, learning, and memory, and protects the brain from age-related cognitive decline
.

Early animal studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF promotes memory formation and storage, enhances learning, and improves cognitive performance
overall.

BDNF has shown great potential in animal models, but drug interventions have so far failed to safely exploit BDNF's protective effects
in humans.
So, the researchers explored non-pharmacological methods to protect the brain's ability to use to naturally increase BDNF to aid healthy aging
.

In the study, the researchers recruited 12 participants, male and female, aged 18 to 56, to compare the effects
of fasting for 20 hours, light exercise (90 minutes of light cycling), high-intensity exercise (6 minutes of vigorous riding), and fasting combined with exercise on BDNF.

Studies have found that short periods of high-intensity exercise are the most effective way to
increase BDNF.

Specifically, fasting did not affect BDNF concentration in comparison; prolonged light exercise BDNF concentration increased slightly, from 336 to 390; Short-term high-intensity exercise increased BDNF concentration by 4-5 times, from 396 to 1170
.

For light exercise, this phenomenon may be due to an increase in the number of platelets storing large amounts of BDNF, and an increase in exercise duration or intensity is required to release free, bioavailable BDNF
.
Compared to fasting, the concentration of platelets circulating in the blood is more affected by exercise, rising by 20%.

The researchers speculate that during exercise, the brain's energy source shifts from metabolizing glucose to lactic acid to ensure that the body's energy needs are met, and the shift from consuming sugar to lactic acid leads to elevated
levels of BDNF in the blood.

The researchers say the reasons for these differences are unclear, and more research is needed to understand the mechanisms
.

In summary, studies have shown that short bursts of high-intensity exercise are the most effective way to increase BDNF, are essential for brain formation, learning, and memory, and protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline
.

Currently, researchers are conducting studies to delve deeper into the effects of calorie restriction and exercise to distinguish between effects on BDNF and cognitive benefits
.

The researchers note that we are now studying how prolonged fasting (up to three days) affects BDNF, and we are curious whether vigorous exercise at the beginning of fasting accelerates the beneficial effects of fasting, and we think that fasting and exercise can be used in combination to optimize BDNF production
in the human brain.