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You’ve likely heard that exercise is good for the brain, but could you explain why exactly? An exciting piece of research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) points to a very specific kind of exercise that directly affects brain health, spurring the creation of new cells. For those of us wondering whether it’s worth it to push ourselves and go the extra mile, this research offers a convincing argument for picking up the pace and extending our training a little longer than we might think necessary.
For the study, published in Cell Metabolism, NIH researchers isolated muscle cells from mice in petri dishes and added a peptide (an enzyme) that boosted cell metabolism, mimicking aerobic exercise and making the cells “think they were running.” Then the researchers tracked which proteins were released during the “exercise,” specifically looking for the ones that crossed the blood-brain barrier. One particular protein, called cathepsin B, spurred neurogenesis (brain cell creation) once it reached the brain. Cathepsin B is an important protein in helping sore muscles recover, helping to clear away cellular debris. Scientists had not, until now, considered it related to brain health.
For the study, published in Cell Metabolism, NIH researchers isolated muscle cells from mice in petri dishes and added a peptide (an enzyme) that boosted cell metabolism, mimicking aerobic exercise and making the cells “think they were running.” Then the researchers tracked which proteins were released during the “exercise,” specifically looking for the ones that crossed the blood-brain barrier. One particular protein, called cathepsin B, spurred neurogenesis (brain cell creation) once it reached the brain. Cathepsin B is an important protein in helping sore muscles recover, helping to clear away cellular debris. Scientists had not, until now, considered it related to brain health.
Via Miloš Bajčetić
