Exercise triggers the release of hormones that promote the growth of new brain cells
If we’re going to have neurons, we’ll need fertilizer for them, and from the get-go, neurogenesis researchers have been onto BDNF. They already knew that without BDNF our brains can’t take in new information (see BDNF is necessary for LTP to be able to occur), and now they’ve seen that BDNF is also a necessary ingredient for making new neurons.
BDNF gathers in reserve pools near the synapses and is unleashed when we get our blood pumping. In the process, a number of hormones from the body are called into action to help; IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), and FGF-2 (fibroblast growth factor). During exercise, these factors push through the blood-brain barrier. Scientists have just recently learned that once inside the brain, these factors work with BDNF to crank up the molecular machinery of learning. They are also produced within the brain and promote stem-cell division, especially during exercise. The broader importance is that these factors trace a direct link from the body to the brain.
References
- Haley, J., John. Hagerman, Eric. (2008). Spark Chapter 2. Learning (p. 61). New York, NY: Little Brown Spark.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Biochemistry / Neurochemistry Status:☀️