Run Your Way to a Better Memory

Here's another reason why you should not miss out on those runs daily, or why you should start the habit of running ASAP: Researchers have proven that it can enhance memory! The benefits of running are no strangers to those in the world of fitness, but scientists have finally proven its effect on our memory in the cellular level.

In 2010, Neuroscientists at Cambridge University have presented that running stimulates the growth of gray matter in the brain, leading to the growth of hundreds of thousands of brain cells that enhanced memory. Today, another research published in Cell Metabolism have shown that muscles secrete a protein, known as cathepsin B, and is transported to the brain, a direct link in exercise and memory function.

In the study, cathepsin B levels spiked in students who ran in a four-month exercise regimen and they were able to perform better in a given task to measure their memory. Those with the best performance in a memory task were shown to have the highest levels of the protein.

How Cathepsin B affects your brain

The cathepsin B protein have a notorious reputation as it was first known to be secreted by tumors and is involved in the formation of amyloid plaque in the brain of those with Alzheimer's. Other studies have proven that it is actually neuroprotective and can clear these amyloid plaques. Further studies have been set out to know the mechanisms of this protein in crossing the blood-brain barrier and how it activates neural signaling and growth.

Benefits of Running: Why You Should Start Now

It’s the first Wednesday of June and the US is celebrating National Running Day. So to honour this and the life-changing exercise (that most likely made me a healthier person), here are some of the benefits of running that I hope will convince a lot of you to start a commitment to it.

1. Strengthens your lungs

When you run, the muscle cells you’re using need more oxygen and nutrients in order to sustain your movement. This makes your heart compensate by beating faster and harder. Your lungs, on the other hand, increase its capacity to keep up with the oxygen demands of your cells by increasing blood flow, gas exchange and number of capillaries used in your lung tissues.

2. Is good for your heart

Running is a kind of cardio and even though it stresses your heart (to beat faster and harder), it’s the good kind of stress that eventually makes it stronger. According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, running for even just 10 minutes a day can drastically reduce your risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease. So when you keep a habit of running, your heart eventually does not need to work as hard as before. 

3. Prevents disease

A study in 2014 from the National Journal of Cancer found out that running beats walking in fighting off breast cancer. Although both running and walking can potentially reduce the risk of cancer, they have confirmed that running may be more effective in the fight. It can also reduce the risk of having a stroke and heart attack. How? Running, along with other forms of exercise, strengthen the heart and help arteries maintain their elasticity.

Doctors often recommend running for people in the early stages of diabetes, osteoporosis and high blood pressure.

4. Helps in losing or maintaining weight

Running is one of the most successful ways of shedding those extra pounds. It is the second most effective in terms of burning calories. And they found out that there is a direct correlation to the amount of fats that are being burned off to the time of your run. Meaning the longer you run, the more fats are degraded by your body.

5. Boosts memory

Believe it or not, running actually helps in boosting your memory. How? Regular exercise increases the blood flow to the brain which also means an increase of oxygen and nutrients for your brain cells. These events can adversely affect brain function. Also, regular exercise has been proven to beat age-related mental decline such as in your working memory.

6. Makes you happier

Ever heard of runners high? Well, they’re real. Scientists found out that when we run, our brain releases two feel-good chemicals: endorphins and endocannabinoids. Endorphins are proven to relieve pain and induce the feeling of euphoria or great pleasure. Endocannabinoids have effects that are quite similar to the compounds found in cannabis. Some mental health experts also use running to help treat clinical depression and some psychological disorders (like alcohol and drug addiction).