Running has been a common exercise regimen for many. Some see it as a way to lose weight, to distract themselves, or just love to run. It has been found that this simple activity also exercises the brain.
A published study from the University of Arizona in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows that runners have higher amounts of connectivity between areas of the brain that is associated with higher-level thinking. An example of higher-level thinking would be multitasking. There was also less connectivity in areas of the brain that is associated with daydreaming and unfocused thoughts.
The study based their results on MRI brain scans of 22 college-aged men. Half of the participants ran competitively while the other half did not exercise in the last year. You may be wondering as to why no women were included. This is because the study wanted to avoid the difficulty of controlling menstrul cycle effects.
The MRIs scanned each subject at rest state.The image below shows average brain area connections in orange and areas of the brain that are associated with daydreaming in blue.
The study suggests that the higher connectivity may be due to the fact that movement, especially at high speeds, taxes motor control and also engages executive functions, spatial navigation, and memory abilities.
Make note that the study does not draw any conclusions about whether or not running makes anyone smarter. But the study did conclude that the enhanced neuroplasticity they say in younger athletes may have implications for older adults and should be investigated further.
