Playing sports can boost a gene capable of increasing the connections between neurons.
Physical exercise is necessary for a healthy body, but it is also good for the brain. American researchers publish the results of a study conducted on mice: sport would stimulate a gene linked to memory and learning.
More synapses in the brain
Most of the studies carried out on the subject focus on the benefits of physical exercise as a whole. “As neuroscientists, it’s not that we aren’t interested in the benefits on the heart or the muscles, but we wanted to understand the specific effects on the brain,” explains Gary Westbrook, co-author of the study.
Scientists have succeeded in measuring the cerebral responses of the brain of mice during physical exercise. The mice, otherwise sedentary, had to run in a wheel for short periods, but intensively: several kilometers in two hours. Gene analysis allowed them to show that sport stimulates synapses, the connections between nerve cells, in the hippocampus. This area of the brain is linked to memory and learning.
The researchers focused on the Mtss1L gene. Its role is to encode a protein that allows cell membranes to bend. When the mice played sports, this gene was active and promoted the formation of outgrowths on the membranes where synapses form. Sport thus stimulates the production of new synapses, and contributes to the improvement of memory.
The equivalent of 4,000 steps or one basketball game per week
The physical exercise performed by the mice corresponds to approximately one basketball game per week or 4,000 steps. “Exercise doesn’t cost much, and you don’t necessarily have to go to a super gym or run 10 kilometers a day.” The official recommendations, dictated by the world health organization, indicate that an adult should do 30 minutes of physical activity, 5 times a week. Walking rather than taking the car, cycling on weekends or even long walks: the simplest activities are beneficial for your health!
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