A new study published in the Journal of Physiology reported that doing 6 minutes of vigorous cycling was more effective in increasing brain levels of the protein brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than the following:
1️⃣ Fasting for 20 hour.
2️⃣ 90 minutes of low intensity cycling.
3️⃣ 1 and 2 combined.
BDNF promotes the ability of brain to form new connections and therefore promotes healthy brain aging.
This is a promising avenue for developing non-pharmacological methods for protecting against age-related cognitive decline and delaying the onset of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.
Original Research:
“Fasting for 20 h does not affect exercise-induced increases in circulating BDNF in humans” by Travis Gibbons et al. Journal of Physiology
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