Scientists discover a key reason running boosts brain health

Exercise can increase levels of BDNF, a chemical involved in brain cell growth that promotes the release of dopami.

Proteins that promote nerve growth help explain why running supports brain heal.

Exercise increases levels of a chemical involved in brain cell growth that promotes the release of the "feel-good" hormone dopamine, a new study sugges.

Experts have long known that regular running increases dopamine activity in the brain and may protect nerve cells from dama.

The investigation, led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, showed that mice that ran on wheels for 30 days had more dorsal striae in the brain responsible for movement than mice that didn't exerci.

"Our findings suggest that BDNF plays a key role in running-induced long-term changes in the brain," said neurobiologist Guendalina Bastioli, PhD, lead author of the stu.

While researchers have previously measured dopamine activity during running, the new study provides insights into the hormone's long-term behavior and its effects on the brain after exercise stops, Bastioli sa.

In the study, the researchers gave dozens of male mice unrestricted access to a free-spinning wheel or a locked wheel that couldn't mo.

The study authors note that people with Parkinson's and other movement disorders are often treated with drugs that mimic the effects of dopamine on motor neuro.

"Our findings help us understand why exercise can alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease, as well as those of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression," said the study's senior author and neuroscientist Margaret Rice,.

Rice, a professor in the departments of neurosurgery, neuroscience and physiology at NYU Langone, cautions that while initial findings in rodents are promising, future studies in humans will require a full understanding of how BDNF and dopamine functi.

She added that the team next plans to study the relationship between exercise and these chemicals in female mice, who apparently ran more frequently than mal.

Original title:

“Voluntary exercise boosts striatal dopamine release: evidence for the necessary and sufficient role of BDNF” by Guendalina Bastioli, Jennifer.