In the final of our 3-part series, our final slayer is BDNF, or brain derived neurotrophic factor.
Now before you yawn at the sound of this, let me tell you what it does. BDNF is a really powerful protein (Binder and Scharfman, 2004):
- it helps existing neurons survive
- it helps create new neurons
- it helps create connections between neurons (synapses)
- it promotes new learning and memory
How do we get more of this?
One word – exercise. 40 minutes of vigorous exercise to be exact.
In a study by Schmolesky, Webb, and Hansen (2013), they have found that in young healthy males, that the highest amount of BDNF was created when they undertook 40 minutes of highly vigorous exercise. This was found to be 2.7 times more than if you did the same exercise for 20 minutes. And if you did 40 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, this would be 1.4 times more than if you did the same exercise for 20 minutes. Both of these secrete more serum BDNF than if you did no exercise.
So how intense?
Take 220 – your age x 80% = your target heart rate and maintain this for 40 minutes. What I also love about this study is that they got participants to sit down and use arm cycles to create the intensity, which is great for a lot of people with neurological conditions who might not be able to to use their legs at all or well enough to get this level of intensity using the treadmill.
While this study does not specifically talk about dosage over time, we can use this knowledge with what we know about the effects of regularly exercising at least 3 x a week, not only to help with weight loss and reducing cortisol (stress) levels and now, to keep our BDNF levels high for its neuroprotective effects.
And of course, by engaging in vigorous exercise, we improve our body’s sensitivity to insulin, which as you would know by now, is a major problem to the body’s nervous system if it went unchecked.
Resources:
Binder DK and Scharfman HE (2004). Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor. Growth Factors. 22(3): 123–131 Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2504526/pdf/nihms58796.pdf
Schmolesky M.T., Webb D.L. and Hansen R.A (2013).The effects of aerobic exercise intensity and duration on levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in health men. Hournal of Sports Science and Medicine. 12: 502-511. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3772595/pdf/jssm-12-502.pdf
