If you want to keep your brain healthy, exercise is one of the best ways.

Not only does staying active keep your brain from shrinking, but it’s also been shown to stimulate the growth of cells in the hippocampus — the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

Now, researchers are finding there’s even more to the story when it comes to how exercise can help you stay sharp by improving the ability of insulin to act on the brain.

Specialized cells and insulin action in the brain

The study focused on the role of neuronal extracellular vesicles (NEVs), specialized cells released by the brain.

NEVs, which scientists once considered “cell dust,” have recently been shown vital to healthy brain function. In fact, they facilitate the transport of key molecules such as proteins between cells, including those involved in insulin sensitivity.

So why would insulin sensitivity matter when we’re talking about the brain?

According to Steven Malin, lead author of the study, “If insulin is insufficient in the brain, that means not only will brain cells become potentially dysfunctional, but also they may fail to interact with each other properly. It’s like playing the game telephone with a friend. At some point the message gets lost when the brain becomes insulin resistant.”

Insulin resistance is a step that can lead to prediabetes and eventually type 2 diabetes. It’s impact on the brain is why previous researchers coined the term “type 3 diabetes.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, type 3 diabetes occurs when neurons in the brain cannot respond to insulin, which they need for basic tasks such as memory and learning.

In fact, some researchers believe insulin deficiency is central to the cognitive decline that occurs in Alzheimer’s patients.

Your brain on exercise boosts NEVs

And that’s where exercising comes in…

Malin’s research team gathered a group of 21 volunteers around the age of 60 who had prediabetes. Throughout a two-week trial, they engaged in 12 individual, supervised, 60-minute sessions of moderate to high intensity exercise.

Before and after training, the participants ingested a glucose drink. The researchers then collected blood samples from the participants at the start and end of their exercise sessions. The blood samples showed that the number of NEVs carrying proteins involved in insulin sensitivity increased after each exercise session.

They say that because these specialized cells involved in how the body responds to insulin are activated in the brain after exercise, physical activity may directly improve brain function and even help ward off dementia.

So how can you get the most bang for your brain’s buck out of exercise?

While this research delved into the effects of an hour-long workout, other studies have shown that you can put in less time and still receive big brain benefits.

One study even showed that you can grab a 14% boost in brain power with just 10 minutes of exercise.

This could include taking a brisk walk, hopping on your exercise bike, jumping rope or even putting on your favorite tunes and dancing around the house.

Additional research determined that the minimum amount of exercise you need in a six-month period to improve your cognitive abilities is 52 hours.

That’s less than nine hours a month of exercise to boost your brain — or a little over two hours per week.

Not bad for a bit of assurance that you’re working at keeping dementia away.

Sources:

Exercise improves brain function, possibly reducing dementia risk – ScienceDaily

5 ways to pump up your brain power in 10 minutes – Easy Health Options

They did the math: Here’s how much to exercise to slow brain aging – Easy Health Options

Reversing age-related brain shrinkage is easier than you think – Easy Health Options

At 47 or 87 your brain can make new cells (here’s how) – Easy Health Options