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Exercise
May Improve Brainpower
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A preliminary study has found that
exercise may rev up a person's brainpower.
Dr. Chuck Hillman of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
and colleagues presented the results of their findings at the
annual meeting of the Society of Psychophysiological Research
in Montreal, Canada last week.
In the study, the researchers measured the thinking ability of
20 men and women aged 18 to 24 after 30 minutes of moderately
heavy to heavy running on a treadmill. Once the participants'
heart rates had returned to resting levels, they were wired up
to an instrument that measures brain waves called an electroencephalogram
(EEG).
They then took two computer tests, one more difficult than the
other. These results were compared with results from tests the
participants took without exercising beforehand.
Brain wave measurements showed that ``exercising increased the
speed of the decision-making process,'' Hillman told Reuters Health.
Specifically, brain activity kicked in 35 milliseconds faster
after exercise compared with when study participants did not exercise.
Although that may sound like a small amount of time, Hillman pointed
out that it is actually quite significant.
In addition, the respondents answered more accurately after exercise
then they did when they had not exercised, he noted.
Overall, no difference was found in the easier test. The difference
in results was only seen with the more difficult test.
Hillman cautioned that the study is preliminary and must be duplicated
before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.
If the findings hold true, they can be added to a growing body
of research on the beneficial effects of even short periods of
activity. One recent study found that 10 minutes of moderate exercise
daily can improve mood and reduce fatigue. Another study reported
that stair climbing for 2 minutes several times a day can lower
total cholesterol, raise HDL (''good'') cholesterol and improve
the resting pulse rate in sedentary young women.
Reference
Source 89
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