The Exercise Gene

Exercising is a practice that many people have trouble keeping up with. The common belief is that it will help maintain a healthy lifestyle by keeping those who exercise fit and active. Exercise is commonly recommended to those seeking a smaller pant size as a means to reduce unwanted fat; however, this simple action does more than regulate bodyweight and build muscle strength. In recent studies conducted by Art Kramer of University of Illinois, exercise has been found to improve cognitive and peripheral skills. This means that exercising also affects the brain in addition to one’s physical body. In his study, Kramer hypothesized that levels of performance affect brain enhancement throughout the human lifespan. This idea of the full lifespan is exemplified by Olga Kotelko, a 90 year old track and field athlete. Kotelko has achieved 23 world records since the age of 75, proving the point that exercise is effective for any age. Kramer’s research suggests that more activity in earlier life results in more brain volume in the future. This finding emphasizes that exercise is a very important part of growth in children and has long term effects both physically and mentally. Kramer’s main focus has been aerobic activities and how they affect brain function. He has found that aerobic activity, as opposed to muscle building or other forms of exercise, improves a variety of cognitive and peripheral skills, especially in children.

This idea of exercise affecting cognitive skills in children is supported by a recent study conducted by Professor David Bucci of Darthmouth University. In his study, Bucci explores the correlation between exercise and memory with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Him and his team carried out an experiment on rats in which they found that “exercise was able to reduce the extent of these[ADHD-like] behaviors”. They also found that exercise proved more beneficial to women over men. When they took the study further to investigate how exercise affects learning and memory, they found a gene called the Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) that affected whether individuals benefited from exercise at all. In the future, this gene could help determine whether exercise could serve as a form of treatment for ADHD patients. Overall, one of the main implications in both of these studies is that exercise is crucial for all children, whether they are diagnosed with a form of mental disorder or not. The long term effect of exercising during development is something that should not be ignored and for this reason children should be encouraged to exercise early on. Childhood exercise helps to improve learning and memory in the brain while also increasing its volumes. While some school systems are trying to get rid of physical education as part of the curriculum, it is clear that such a rash decision would have a negative impact in cognitive health later on.

(BDNF Article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245751.php)