Animal Research Discovers Link Between Exercise, HGH, and Cognitive Ability

Research shows that physical activity offers a myriad of health benefits. Some are well known, such as improved muscle mass and reduced body fat. Most people recognize that exercise has a positive effect on mood.

Many people don't realize that exercise can provide several other benefits, including reduced cancer risk, improved memory, and more.

Recent research by the Queensland Brain Institute in Australia explores the effects of regular exercise in preserving and enhancing cognitive function in aging rats.

The QBI is affiliated with the University of Queensland. The scientists searched for an ideal level of minimal exercise associated with a boost in brain activity.

Memory Recollection and Cognitive Decline Become More Prevalent With Age

As rats and humans get older, their cognitive processing naturally slows down. The rate at which deterioration occurs depends on genetic and environmental factors. Luckily, studies show that there are strategies to mitigate or stall this decline. In this study, scientists found that 35 consecutive days of exercise could restore memory and learning ability in aging rats.

The cognitive benefits of exercise for the rats were not immediate but relied on regular physical activity. Researchers refer to 35 days as the “sweet spot” for exercise to improve brain health in these animals. They hypothesize that humans likely have a sweet spot of their own. This study has been the subject of two papers published in iScience, a highly regarded interdisciplinary scientific journal.

In recent years, scientists have turned to studying the effects of exercise on the hippocampus and other parts of the brain. The hippocampus is a critical cognitive and emotional center in the brain, intrinsically linked to memory creation, emotion, and learning.

Researchers have long recognized that exercise is good for the brain, but the underlying physiology behind those benefits has been unclear. This study is one of many that intend to unshroud the mystery of how physical activity alters the brain.

This study provides strong evidence that at least part of the cognitive improvements associated with exercise is the result of increased production of Growth Hormone. Growth Hormone is vital to health and plays a significant role in metabolism, development, and physiological maintenance of both brain and body.

Our bodies need Human Growth Hormone during childhood and adolescence to facilitate growth and maturation, but HGH retains much of its importance even after the end of puberty.

HGH, Exercise, and Brain Function—Two Studies

Dr. Blackmore was one of the presiding scientists that worked on this research. He and his team put together two trials to study how Growth Hormone relates to the cognitive benefits of exercise in rats. The first study sought to determine if Growth Hormone Levels were high when older mice registered improved mental function.

The second study looked for evidence that HGH activity contributed to these benefits. Researchers used several tests to measure positive psychological changes in performance. Researchers also drew blood and tested brain tissue samples from the pituitary for factual information about Growth Hormone Levels.

Researchers compared the mental faculties of younger and older rats. Before the exercise program began, the older rats didn't do as well on behavioral exams as the youthful rats. After the baseline tests, researchers gave the mice a running wheel to use for exercise and periodically performed behavioral analysis.

After around 35 days, the older rats reached a level of cognitive performance compared to younger rats. Less than 35 days did not impact the older rats learning ability, while more days showed no further benefits, thus marking 35 days as the “Sweet Spot” for cognitive renewal.

Researchers then took a different group of rats and put them through the same exercise regimen before an alternate mental performance exam.

After getting this data, the scientists looked at how Human Growth Hormone Levels related to these cognitive changes. They discovered that Growth Hormone circulation was highest at the Sweet Spot. Brain analysis showed that the exercise routine increased neural development in the hippocampus.

The second investigation used an MRI to map changes in the brains of the rats. They identified improved neural density in the dentate gyrus, which links the hippocampus to other brain parts. This is the first study to demonstrate that exercise increases neural connections in the brain. Furthermore, the study showed which brain parts were involved in spatial learning.

Learning How Human Brains Benefit from Exercise

As we learn more about the brain and develop new tools to measure brain activity, neurogenesis becomes an increasingly hot topic. Studies show that our brains don't ossify when we reach adulthood but remain capable of further neurological development. This study clearly shows the importance of exercise to cognitive health and function.

Even though more research is necessary to provide information regarding how humans respond mentally to exercise, this is more evidence that cognitive wellness is tightly linked to physical activity and well-being. Future research by Dr. Blackmore and his team will work with humans to determine how these benefits cross over to our species.

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