Running Changes Your Brain, let me explain.

Summary

This video explores the surprising ways running impacts the brain, debunking the myth that endorphins cause 'runner's high' and revealing the role of endocannabinoids. It delves into how running can stimulate the growth of new brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus, improving memory, mood, and learning. The video also discusses the long-term benefits of running, such as enhancing blood supply to the brain and potentially preventing age-related cognitive decline. Practical advice is given on incorporating running into a routine for optimal cognitive benefits.

Takeaways

• 🏃 Running impacts the brain in various ways beyond the 'Runner's High' and endorphins, which are commonly misunderstood.
• 🧠 Endorphins, previously thought to cause the 'Runner's High', cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, so their effects on the brain are indirect.
• 🌱 New brain cells can be grown even in 90-year-olds, and running can influence the growth of these cells, specifically in the hippocampus.
• 🚀 The 'Runner's High' is actually associated with increased endocannabinoids, not endorphins, which act as natural mood elevators.
• 🏃‍♂️ Running stimulates the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is crucial for neuron growth and cognitive function.
• 🧐 The hippocampus is responsible for learning, memory encoding, and mood regulation, and running can enhance its function by increasing neurogenesis.
• 💡 BDNF acts as a signal for the brain to grow new neurons, especially in the hippocampus, which can improve memory, mood, and learning ability.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Muscle and liver activity during running release myokines and lactate, respectively, which signal the brain to increase BDNF production.
• 👴 Age-related cognitive decline may be linked more to reduced blood supply to the brain rather than the inability to produce new neurons.
• 🌟 Running can improve blood supply to the brain by stimulating the production of vascular endothelial growth factor, which promotes the growth of new blood vessels.
• 🔄 Incorporating running into daily life can be done sustainably by considering the timing, frequency, duration, and intensity of runs to maximize cognitive benefits.

Q & A

What is the common misconception about runner's high?

The common misconception is that runner's high is caused by endorphins. However, research has shown that endorphins cannot enter the brain, so they cannot be responsible for runner's high.

What actually causes runner's high if not endorphins?

Runner's high is actually caused by endocannabinoids, which are intrinsic marijuana-like compounds in the body that increase during exercise, leading to the euphoric feeling associated with runner's high.

How does running impact neurogenesis in the hippocampus?

Running stimulates the release of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus, leading to improved memory, learning, and mood regulation.

What is BDNF and why is it important?

BDNF stands for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. It's like 'Miracle Grow' for the brain, signaling the hippocampus to produce new neurons, which enhances memory, learning, and mood regulation.

How does exercise affect cognitive decline related to aging?

Exercise, particularly running, improves blood supply to the brain, which can help prevent age-related cognitive decline by ensuring that new and existing neurons receive the necessary nutrients.

Why is improving blood supply to the brain crucial for preventing cognitive decline?

Improving blood supply ensures that the brain receives adequate nutrients and oxygen, which helps maintain healthy neurons and prevents conditions like Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.

How can one incorporate running into their routine to maximize cognitive benefits?

To maximize cognitive benefits, it's suggested to run in the morning before engaging in cognitive tasks. This helps leverage the hippocampus's increased activity post-run, enhancing focus, memory, and mood.

What are the recommended durations and frequencies for running to sustain cognitive benefits?

The video suggests running for about 30 minutes, two to three times a week. This duration is effective for cognitive benefits and is sustainable over time.

What is the significance of Zone 2 cardio in the context of running?

Zone 2 cardio is a level of intensity where you cannot hold a conversation while running. This intensity is suggested to optimize aerobic benefits without needing to measure specific heart rates.

Can weightlifting offer similar cognitive benefits as running?

Weightlifting does not provide the same cognitive benefits as aerobic exercise like running. The video suggests that aerobic activities like running, cycling, or rowing are necessary for those benefits, but it leaves open the possibility of exploring the cognitive benefits of weightlifting in a future video.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ The Myth of Endorphins and Running's True Impact

The first paragraph delves into the misconception that endorphins are responsible for the 'runner's high.' It clarifies that endorphins cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, debunking the idea that they directly affect the brain. Instead, the paragraph introduces the concept that running can actually promote the growth of new brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus, a region linked to learning and memory. The speaker, Jack, a UK-based doctor, outlines the video's structure, which will explore the immediate and long-term effects of running on the brain, and provides a personal anecdote about going for a run.

05:03

🌱 Neurogenesis and the Role of BDNF in Enhancing Memory and Learning

Paragraph two discusses the process of neurogenesis, specifically within the hippocampus, and how running can accelerate this process. It introduces BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) as a key molecule that signals the brain to grow new neurons, akin to a 'Miracle-Gro' for the brain. The paragraph explains how physical exercise, particularly running, can stimulate the release of BDNF, leading to improved memory, mood regulation, and learning capabilities. It also touches on the fascinating fact that by the age of 50, all neurons in the hippocampus are new, replaced since birth, and the potential of running to enhance this process.

10:03

🚴‍♀️ Long-Term Cognitive Benefits of Running and Preventing Decline

The third paragraph explores the long-term impacts of running on cognitive health, challenging the notion that cognitive decline is due to a lack of neuron production. It suggests that reduced blood supply to the brain might be a contributing factor to age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. The paragraph explains how running can improve blood supply to the brain by stimulating the production of vascular endothelial growth factor, leading to the creation of new blood vessels and better nutrient delivery to the brain. This could potentially help prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer's by ensuring a healthy brain blood supply throughout life.

15:05

📈 Optimizing Running for Cognitive Enhancement and Sustainability

In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on how to best leverage the cognitive benefits of running by considering when, how often, and for how long to run. Jack plans to run in the morning to take advantage of the heightened activity in the hippocampus for tasks requiring focus and memory. He also discusses the frequency of running, suggesting two to three times a week as a sustainable routine for himself, while emphasizing the importance of personalizing the routine for long-term adherence. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of the intensity of the exercise, suggesting that running at a pace that prevents conversation could be beneficial, and expresses openness to exploring the cognitive benefits of other forms of exercise, such as weightlifting, in future videos.

Keywords

💡Endorphins

Endorphins are naturally occurring peptides in the body that act as neurotransmitters and are associated with feelings of pleasure and well-being. In the context of the video, it was a common belief that endorphins were responsible for the 'runner's high', but the speaker clarifies that endorphins cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, thus they do not directly impact the brain as previously thought.

💡Runner's High

Runner's high refers to a euphoric state that some people experience during or after intense exercise, often attributed to the release of endorphins. The video script challenges this notion, explaining that the true cause of runner's high is likely due to the release of endocannabinoids, not endorphins.

💡Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons are generated in the brain. The script explains that running can stimulate the growth of new brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus, which is crucial for learning and memory. This is a key point in the video's argument for the cognitive benefits of running.

💡Hippocampus

The hippocampus is a region of the brain that plays a critical role in learning and memory. The video emphasizes that running can enhance neurogenesis within the hippocampus, leading to improved cognitive functions such as memory and focus.

💡Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

BDNF is a protein that supports the growth and survival of existing neurons and stimulates the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. The script describes BDNF as a 'Miracle Grow of the brain', highlighting its importance in the neurogenesis process stimulated by running.

💡Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism in muscles during intense exercise. The video suggests that lactic acid signaling in the brain can lead to the production of vascular endothelial growth factor, which is crucial for improving blood supply to the brain.

💡Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)

VEGF is a protein that stimulates the formation of new blood vessels. In the context of the video, running increases the production of VEGF, which can lead to better blood supply and oxygenation of the brain, potentially reducing age-related cognitive decline.

💡Cognitive Decline

Cognitive decline refers to the gradual deterioration of cognitive abilities, such as memory and thinking skills. The video discusses how running may help mitigate age-related cognitive decline by improving blood supply to the brain and supporting the growth of new neurons.

💡Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, is any type of exercise that increases heart rate and breathing for a sustained period. The script suggests that running, as a form of aerobic exercise, has significant cognitive benefits for the brain.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the context of the video refers to maintaining a running routine over time in a way that is personally feasible and does not lead to burnout. The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding a running schedule that is sustainable for the individual to reap the long-term cognitive benefits.

💡Zone 2 Cardio

Zone 2 cardio refers to exercising at an intensity where one's heart rate is at approximately 70-80% of their maximum heart rate. The video mentions this concept as a guideline for running intensity, suggesting that running at this level can be beneficial for cognitive health without the need for precise heart rate monitoring.

Highlights

Endorphins cannot enter the brain and thus do not impact it directly, contrary to the common belief about runners high.

Running can influence the growth of new brain cells in 90-year-olds, affecting neurogenesis.

Practical ways to incorporate running into daily life for mental health benefits will be discussed.

Running impacts the brain on various time scales, from minutes to years.

The traditional explanation of runners high involving endorphins has been disproven by German scientists.

Endocannabinoids, not endorphins, are likely responsible for the runners high phenomenon.

The hippocampus generates 700 new neurons daily, and running can increase this neurogenesis.

BDNF, the 'Miracle-Gro' of the brain, is released during running and stimulates neuron growth.

Exercise signals the brain to release BDNF through muscle and liver activity.

Increased BDNF leads to improved memory, mood regulation, and learning capabilities.

Running can contribute to the prevention of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

The blood supply to the brain may be a key factor in cognitive health, rather than neuron count.

Running enhances the brain's blood supply by stimulating the production of new blood vessels.

The cognitive benefits of running can last up to 2 hours post-exercise.

A personalized running routine is essential for sustainability and long-term benefits.

Running frequency, duration, and intensity should be tailored to individual preferences and needs.

Aerobic exercises like running provide unique brain health benefits compared to weight lifting.

Transcripts

R changes your brain let me

[Music]

explain let's

go when I started researching how

running affects the brain I really

thought I'd be just exploring Runners

high and endorphins and how that

concoction helps us think and what I

found was completely different so first

of all endorphins can't get into the

brain so they can't impact the brain so

why do we get run as high then and then

the next thing I found was that

90-year-olds can actually grow new brain

cells and running can affect the growth

of those brain cells so we're going to

be going into that and finally I'm going

to take you through a few practical ways

to incorporate running into your life

taking into account all of the mental

impacts it can have so how can you time

it what intensity all of those sort of

questions will address at the end so

stick around and I'm Jack I'm a doctor

in the UK and I'm about to go on a run

so let's get into

[Music]

this it turns out that running actually

impacts your brain on different time

frames so this video is going to be

structured by those time frames so

impacts that you can find in minutes

then days then weeks then years so let's

head out on the run

[Music]

up sry I called myself slipping over in

the mud that would not be ideal this is

not that kind of video we're not going

for a

blueprint so I'm about 10 minutes Post

run now and what I'm going to go through

is how Runners High actually works

within the brain because over years and

years we've actually misunderstood

the mechanism of runers high so we

always thought that it was to do with

endorphins but some scientists in

Germany have actually completely

disproven that so the background that

you need to understand is that

endorphins are opioid like substances so

they act through the same receptors that

heroin does we use opioids all the time

in A&E and we use them for pain relief

so that's exactly how endorphins act on

our body so they allow us to block the

painful feelings that we're getting

during exercise allowing us to keep

going and run

further I'm not going to lie I'm really

not in the mood right now but I'm just

going to power

through but the other interesting impact

of opioids is that of like heroin which

is the that it makes us feel good so

people in the past have put those two

together and said well the endorphins

are painkillers but they also might give

us the runner's high and some scientists

in Germany have actually completely

disproven that so what they did was take

64 subjects 64 Runners and they gave

them a drug called

Noone and what that does is it blocks

the opioid receptor so the theory is

that if you block the opioid receptor

that doesn't allow endorphins to work so

we shouldn't get runers high but those

subjects actually did experience the

runnner high so that means that it must

be happening through a different

mechanism and those scientists worked

out what it was I've read that it takes

30 minutes for the Endo can aboid to

kick in so let's see if that study works

for me rather than a heroin-like

substance it's actually intrinsic

marijuana basically so it's a compound

called endoc canabo and the scientists

in Germany found that while the opioids

obviously weren't working the endorphins

weren't able to work the

endocannabinoids were skyrocketed in

those people so that fits with the

working theory that they are the cause

of Runners high so let's move on now to

how running can affect your learning

memory and

focus your hippocampus is this really

cool part of your brain that is

responsible for learning for encoding

memories and for regulating your mood

and I found some like fascinating

research about it that I want to share

so every single day you generate 700 new

neurons within your hippocampus and you

may be thinking Jack I don't care I've

got billions of neurons within my brain

700 is neither here nor there I don't

care but what I found as a really fun

fact was that when you're born you've

obviously got all the neurons within

your hippocampus but because you're

generating new neurons you end up

replacing old ones so when you're 50

years old you have none of the neurons

in your hippocampus that you were born

with you've got all new ones which I

found insane but it also beged the

question of if there you know I'm

producing more neurons how could I speed

that process up and I found that running

actually you know speeds that process up

and now I'm going to explain exactly how

that works the way we regulate

neurogenesis within our brains is

through one key molecule which is

bdnf so bdnf stands for brain Direct

derived neurotrophic factor and it's

like Miracle Grow of the brain it tells

your brain that you need to grow new

neurons within the hippocampus because

there's some need for them here you can

see exactly how bdnf is impacting the

brain on this side here you have a

mouse's brain that is sedentary and you

can see how many new neurons are being

produced and on this side you can see

that you've got a running Mouse and look

how many more neurons they have produced

versus the sedentary Mouse so how does

exercise cause bdnf release so my

muscles right now the calves my thighs

my glutes they're all releasing Mya

kindes that are signal into my brain to

release

bdnf and the second place that signals

to the brain is the liver I'm putting my

body under stress so in that stress my

li is signaled to release be hydroxy

berate an absolute

mouthful and that's also signaling the

release of bdnf sorry I'm so out of

breath probably could be a lot fitter

right

now so why should you care about

releasing more bdnf within your brain

when you run you stimulate the

hippocampus to produce more neurons

through bdnf and that improves your

memory can improve your mood and also

your ability to learn shift Focus so

it's brilliant and stick around to the

end of the video because I'm going to be

exploring how I am using all of this new

knowledge to incorporate running into my

life to enhance my learning my focus my

memory Etc but next I want to go on to

how running is impacting you in months

to years down the

line you continue to produce uced

neurons up into your '90s

and why is that so important well I used

to think that age related cognitive

decline was you know you get Alzheimer's

disease because you're not producing any

more neurons and the neurons you've got

are kind of you know withering way and

so this kind of changed my thinking and

so the question then is well what's

causing age related cognitive decline

and Alzheimer's well these scientists

thought that it could be to do with the

blood supply to the brain rather than

the fact that you're not growing any

more

neurons so if the blood supply is

getting worse and your vessels are

getting harder and thinner and you know

the diameter of those vessels is getting

smaller then you're not able to supply

your brain with all the nutrients it

needs and that is then causing the cells

that are there and the new ones that are

growing to be deficient and not work as

well so

how can we then improve the blood supply

into our brains to make sure that that

doesn't happen and you guessed it

running can help so I can feel the

lectic acid building up now towards the

end of my run and that's signaling to my

brain that actually we could have better

blood

supply let's grow some new vessels some

New Roads into the brain so that we can

adequately oxygenate it the lactic acid

that you produce in your muscles signals

that your brain needs to produce

vascular endothelial growth factor and

if we break that down vascular blood

vessels endothelium you know the the

lining of the blood vessels growth

factor we actually produce more blood

vessels within the brain and so what

does that mean well imagine a city and

you've got one massive road that goes

through the the middle and you want to

reduce congestion well then you create

loads of other roads off that one road

to reduce congestion and that is exactly

what the brain does so the VF the

vascular endothelial growth factor

causes production of loads of other

roads off the you know one big road and

that means that you get better Supply

you get less traffic going into the

brain so you get more nutrients to all

the tissues and then you have healthier

supply to the brain which could help

with Alzheimer's with age related

cognitive decline so running is

impacting you all the way like through

your whole life and it can actually you

know stop you from getting age related

cognitive decline which is massive but

what it relies on is you developing this

into a habit that you stick with and

that habit than you know being

sustainable over time that's what I'm

going to go into now is how can we use

all of this knowledge to Leverage The

cognitive impacts of running and also to

make sure that we continue doing it

sustainably so that we can reap the

rewards of running on our brains both in

the present moment and over

time so my first question to myself was

you know when should I run and the way

that I've thought about this is I want

to leverage the impacts on my

hippocampus so I want the focus the

memory and the regulating my mood so I'm

going to be running in the morning and

I'll be trying to time that run for

before I do you know research or writing

or you know big cognitive tasks because

I want to try and leverage the fact that

my hippocampus is more active and

the another really really cool thing I

found on the internet was uh Wendy

Suzuki uh did a study that showed that

the cognitive impacts of exercise can

last up to 2 hours and she didn't

actually go past two hours so they may

even continue after 2 hours but if you

imagine you know do your run get down do

that work for at least 2 hours then

you're getting the most out of the

cognitive you know shortterm memory

Focus attention impact of running you're

taking advantage of that so that's what

I'm planning to try and

do so the next one is how often should

we run and so for me I'm going to be

running about two or three times a week

because I want to lift weights I enjoy

lifting weights so I want it to be you

know sustainable for me because over

time I don't want to you know just stop

so for me that's going to be two to

three times a week but I think it's

really important that this is a very

personal decision so you know try

running five times a week or just once a

week and find the thing that works for

you because the main thing is that it

needs to be sustainable over

time the next one is how how long should

I run for and this seems to vary so

Wendy Suzuki seems like a you know

pretty well-renowned neuroscientist

talking about exercise she says just

even just 10 minutes can be helpful and

I agree that it even that small amount

can be really beneficial for you

depending on where your starting point

is but personally for myself I'm going

to be running for about half an hour

that seems to be the sweet spot for me

where it doesn't take too long but I see

the mental benefits I've just got back

now and I have to say I feel good but

[Music]

tired there's loads of stuff on the

internet about Zone 2 cardio and I like

the principle that I should run at an

intensity that I wouldn't be able to

talk

at you know you're doing zone two cardio

when you can't hold a conversation while

you're doing the

exercise that's the bench mark and I

can't even speak

anyway but I'm not going to be you know

measuring my heart rate and making sure

it's 70 to 80% of the V2 Max that's not

what I'm going to do I'm just going to

try and make sure that I wouldn't be

able to have a com ation at that

pace it's actually just any aerobic

exercise so if that's rowing for you or

cycling or any form of aerobic

exercise but importantly these benefits

can't be seen from lifting weights so if

you want to see the benefits to the

brain of lifting weights I can explore

that in another video I have no idea

what those benefits might be because

I've not looked into any of the research

but I'm kind of intrigued so if you want

to see that video then you know let me

know in the comments down below and I'm

more than happy to make it and if you've

enjoyed this video let me know in the

comments any questions for me about this

and I'll try my best to answer them if

you've enjoyed this please subscribe and

I'll see you

[Music]

soon you may have heard of this

structure called the

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