9 ms·

How Exercise Can Strengthen the Brain

163 points by wallflower 15y ago

tsuru 15y ago
Rule #1 in Brain Rules, http://brainrules.net/the-rules http://brainrules.net/the-rules
jacques_chester 15y ago
> More immediately, Dr. Davis speculates, re-energized brain cells could behave like mitochondrial-drenched muscle cells, becoming more resistant to fatigue and, since bodily fatigue is partly mediated by signals from the brain, allowing you to withstand more exercise. This corresponds with the experience of sports scientists and coaches: more highly adapted athletes can withstand more training; and indeed more training is required to disrupt homeostasis in order to create further adaptation. But it's a diminishing process. A beginning trainee can get strong with 3 sessions, 45 minutes a week, and get linear gains in every single session. An elite-level weightlifter can find themselves spending 6 months on a complicated program to add 5kg to their maximum singles.
- skittles 15y ago
  I've heard of a study that showed that the first set of a strength-building exercise (like bench-pressing) gives one something like 85% of the benefit possible for the session. The 2nd set gets the lifter up into the mid 90s. A 3rd set has almost no affect on overall fitness. More sets risk negative returns. I took that knowledge and started doing one-set per lift (actually one warm-up set with about 50% of the weight I intended to lift followed by the real set). I had positive results while spending much less time and effort.
  - jacques_chester 15y ago
    It's ... more complicated than that. For example: a beginning trainee can use almost any scheme and make progress. An advanced trainee: not so much. Their program will need to manipulate intensity, repetitions, volume, density, frequency and exercise mix to continue making gains. For intermediate to advanced lifters, a good reference is Prilepin's Table, which gives set/rep/totals based on intensity (% of your 1-rep maximum for that exercise). For example, when I do 95%+ singles, I aim for 6 or 7 singles. For 90-95% doubles, I aim to do 4-6 sets.
    - alexgartrell 15y ago
      This is pretty unrelated, but since you bring up rep ranges, I figured what the hell. As I've gotten older (I'm only 22 now, but I started lifting weights when I was 12 so it semi-counts) I've found that I get way more benefit from a bodybuilder style workout. Specifically, rather than work my way up from 5's to triples to singles, I'll do 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps per exercise. I've found that it allows me to target the muscle and avoid strain on my joints. The reason I bring that up is because I wonder how that compares neurologically to low volume high intensity workouts such as the ones you're doing.
      - jacques_chester 15y ago
        Training for strength has a number of components, but the two ones that matter are, in order: 1. Central nervous system adaptation; developing the ability to recruit the largest muscle fibres, to recruit them more completely and to recruit them faster. 2. Myofibrillar hypertrophy; causing the myofibrils, the structures that generate force, to grow larger. (It's possible to provoke sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which causes fluid build up in muscles -- it grows larger but not stronger). I am unfamiliar with the physiology of exactly how the CNS produces its adaptations, but I would be surprised if there wasn't measurable effects on the brain, if only the parts related to motor function. Bodybuilding-style training -- high reps, isolation movements -- is generally easier on the CNS, but has only limited strength development potential. (For an enlightening read, get a copy of Zatsiorsky & Kramer's Science and Practice of Strength Training 2nd ed).
      - Florin_Andrei 15y ago
        Resistance training (colloquially "weight lifting") is the most efficient tool for body transformation, regardless of gender, age and goals. Whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat, it gets you there in the shortest amount of time (both time in the gym, and calendar time). Once you reach your goals, feel free to switch to a more diverse regimen for maintenance. EDIT: 15-rep sets is not "bodybuilder's workout". It's a waste of time. Either lift heavy, or go outside and do cardio. That in-between never-never land should be avoided. EDIT2: Let me restate this. Above a certain set length, weight lifting ceases to train strength - which is its main external goal. The opinions differ, but in general the limit is estimated around 10 ... 12: if your set is that long, the weight you're using is too easy. Use heavier loads, so that you cannot do such long sets. In practice, the longest sets that are profitable are 8 reps. If you're worried about strain and injuries, do warm-ups with 67% the working load - a short set of a few reps at 67%, maybe repeated once if things are really sketchy with your joints, should be enough. Then lift with a powerful, but fluid and controlled motion. Never jerk the weight.
  - scott_s 15y ago
    The fact that strength athletes do not follow this regime - powerlifters, Olympic-style weightlifters, strong-man and bodybuilders - should give you pause. What should give you further pause is that people who use strength training as a supplement to their main sport also don't follow this regime.
    - skittles 15y ago
      I was talking about getting into shape, not competing in the Olympics. If you could get into good shape doing one hard set per lift, wouldn't that make more sense than spending 2 to 3 times the effort in the gym? It's all about goals. I don't lift weights to get huge or compete in anything. I lift for functional strength and weight loss. Others may benefit from knowing that they don't have to spend an hour or more in the gym to get impressive results.
      - scott_s 15y ago
        Then the points the others brought up become relevant. If you're not in shape and have done no prior strength training, any strength training you do will have results.
      - nasmorn 15y ago
        I think it makes perfect sense. Especially when you take into account, that anyone can do 6 months of strength training but doing it forever all your life without pause is quite hard at least for me.
      - Mvandenbergh 15y ago
        Yes, that would make sense. Take into account though that for many people most of their gym time is overhead, especially if they don't have equipment at home. A large % of time is taken up by getting to and from the gym, getting changed, taking a shower, setting up the right weights on the bar and doing warm-ups, cool-downs & stretching. Because of this, adding an extra set doesn't mean that you'll take 2-3 times as long in total. Determining whether the faster gains you get from doing the additional sets are worth the marginal time depends on a number of factors. If you have plenty of time available for workouts, then do the 2-3 sets and reach your goals faster, if your time is extremely constrained, then the extra 20 minutes per workout might not be worth it
  - Florin_Andrei 15y ago
    I'm not comfortable with that conclusion. To make progress, you need to stimulate muscles deeply. One set typically cannot recruit all fibers in the muscle. That's why you do more sets, to fatigue some of them, then recruit the rest in subsequent sets. To gain strength, you need to lift around 70% ... 90% of your 1RM (one-rep-max - the maximum load that allows the complete execution of exactly one repetition). On the lower end of that spectrum, that means 8 rep sets. On the higher end, that means 3 rep sets. I'd be fine with doing one set of 8 reps at 70% 1RM. But it just doesn't sound right to only do one set of 3 reps, even if it's 90% 1RM. There's no way you're stimulating the whole muscle. Lots of fibers will remain unrecruited, and will not be pushed to improve. Perhaps you're stimulating the same muscle with several different exercises during the same session, but then you're not really doing "one set". All this boils down to: you need around 24 ... 25 reps per exercise to really dig into all fibers. Shorter sets = more sets = higher load. Longer sets = fewer sets = lower load. For whole body training, this strategy leads to 40 ... 60 minutes required per session to stimulate all major muscles. Given 3 sessions per week, that means 2 ... 3 hours per week of weight lifting. That's not excessive by any means. Basically, I consider all of the above as the gold standard of whole-body strength training for amateurs. Using these principles (and others) I transformed myself from a pencil-neck into the guy who bench presses 100 kg (220 lb).
    - skittles 15y ago
      A better way to look at it is that 1 hard set gets one most of the benefit that is possible from the exercise. An athlete would definitely want to do 2 or 3 sets (or more depending on level of competition, etc.), but an average person just trying to get into shape or maintain shape doesn't. I went from pencil-neck to bench pressing 215 lbs using the one-hard-set method.
      - Florin_Andrei 15y ago
        Oh, it will work, no doubt, just at less than the ideal speed. Such a minimalist program was espoused by Mike Mentzer, one of the great bodybuilders of past decades. But his views are not considered mainstream. I agree that a full 24 ... 25 reps (3x8, 8x3, 5x5, etc.) program is not required for maintenance only. To get into shape... well, I guess it depends on the temperament. I'm inclined to achieve the goal as quickly as possible, then focus on something else. Hence my previous reply.
  - onan_barbarian 15y ago
    This is broscience. A couple position papers from reputable sources (NSCA, NCSM) directly contradict this, the first based on a meta-analysis: http://www.nsca-lift.org/HotTopic/download/Single%20vs%20Multiple%20Sets.pdf http://www.nsca-lift.org/HotTopic/download/Single%20vs%20Mul... http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2009/03000/Progression_Models_in_Resistance_Training_for.26.aspx http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2009/03000/Progre... Aside from the fact that the tradeoff with doing 1 set is actually much less performance improvement long-term, the main problem with this idea is that it just doesn't take all that much time to bust out 3 sets vs 1 set of something, at least for the more critical, whole body exercises (squat, deadlift, bench, chin, row, clean...) Factoring in generalized warmup, cool-down, travel to the gym, getting changed in and out of exercise clothes, showering, etc - you're talking about a 10-15 extra minutes of training in order achieve substantially greater gains.
keys1234 15y ago
Solve a complex problem or just workout to keep your brain fit.
ern 15y ago
It will be interesting if the mice are subjected to behavioral testing over time to see if the exercise-induced changes improve neurocognitive outcomes. Hopefully they are working on that.
Wolf_Larsen 15y ago
This is a great podcast about exercise and the brain. Most interesting to me is how exercise directly increases brain plasticity : http://brainsciencpodcast.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/brain-science-podcast-33-exercise-and-the-brain/ http://brainsciencpodcast.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/brain-sci...
toblender 15y ago
Shouldn't all jocks be Einsteins? All jokes aside, exercise reduces stress. Which can really affect your mental performance. I found that when I was working out consistently my academic scores were higher. My number one tip to people going into university is to find time to workout 3 times a week to balance out the stress.
- johnnyjustice 15y ago
  What kind of exercise?
  - fjordan 15y ago
    I have personally found the most benefit by basing my workouts around one of the main powerlifting exercises - squat, bench press, or deadlift. Cardiovascular exercise is best performed after a weightlifting session and provides additional benefits.
- jamesbkel 15y ago
  I've never really had any issues with stress, so I can't speak to that. However, somewhat related, I found daily exercise (more intense on some days, but at least something every day) did a lot to improve my sleep. In turn that made me much more effective when awake.
  - seanalltogether 15y ago
    Same, working out every morning caused my body to fall into very predictable patterns around eating, sleeping, etc... I think most of all I appreciated leveling off my body. Using a mouse and keyboard all day would put certain stresses on certain muscles, but after 2 months of lifting weights the localized soreness went away.
- gwern 15y ago
  > Shouldn't all jocks be Einsteins? If they were, how would you know? Almost by definition, their interests do not incline towards physics and they spend little time on it (compared to whatever makes them a 'jock'). Even if they change their minds, it's a bit late - hard to become a top-notch physicist when you don't learn anything about it until you're 25 or 30 or something.
brildum 15y ago
For those who are interested in exercise but haven't enjoyed it in the past (running, swimming, lifting weights can be boring), I'd recommend rock-climbing. Four months ago I joined a rock-climbing gym and I've really enjoyed it. Its a good workout, but its also a mental challenge. Each route up the wall can be completed in different ways, so it takes a bit of problem solving to determine the best way to finish a route.
- Psyonic 15y ago
  I've been considering getting into rock-climbing, but I'm concerned that reliance on a partner will make it hard to go. Has this been a problem for you? If so, what have you done to deal with it? You can boulder by yourself, yes?
  - cgs 15y ago
    Just be careful bouldering as a beginner. It's really easy to try something that you don't have the hand strength/tendon strength for yet and tweak something. Some gyms have autobelays which let you climb without a partner, so that might be an option.
  - georgieporgie 15y ago
    I'm going to slightly counter brildum's statements and point out that I was unable to stay on a bouldering climb for something like six months after I started top-rope climbing. I just didn't have the strength (less important) and skill (more important). Admittedly, I have known a few people who've gone straight into bouldering and pulled it off. Give it a try. If you can, great. By the way, one of the best things about rock climbing is the social aspect. You should look at partnering as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. I've made a lot of good friends at the gym over the years.
  - brildum 15y ago
    Yes, you can boulder by yourself (I find bouldering more fun anyways). Most gyms have sign up sheets to connect solo climbers with others. Even better, when you sign up at a gym you'll probably receive guest passes, take a friend some time and they'll probably want to sign up themselves because its so fun. My group has increased from 2 to 4 over the last few months. EDIT: For those who are unaware of the climbing terms, here are some brief descriptions: Bouldering: Climbing solo, with no gear, usually up a wall ~8-12 ft (with mats below, in case you fall). These routes are usually tougher focus more on technique/strength rather than endurance. Top-Roping: Climbing with a partner (one climber, one belayer), both partners must have the proper gear and tie in to the ropes in order to climb. These routes are usually 20-50ft and require a good deal of endurance to reach the top.
angkec 15y ago
I started mountain biking this April, and watched my entrepreneurial performance grow. Before that I was miserable in the suburban Michigan, can't get anything done. Now I'm vibrant and energetic. I've just got my co-founder to buy a mountain bike so he can exercise enough as well. We'll see how big an effect it has on him.
gtani 15y ago
Anybody try controlled trial of vinpocetine or GPC-choline? In meantime, play piano, meditate, bright lights http://www.sott.net/articles/show/216086-Mental-muscle-six-ways-to-boost-your-brain http://www.sott.net/articles/show/216086-Mental-muscle-six-w...
zerostar07 15y ago
Maybe it's good for Alzheimer's patients, but how does this affect everyday situations. It's not like our neurons need to stretch and relax, so they need more mitochondria. I wonder if they found any other alterations in brain chemistry.
johnwatson11218 15y ago
I just want to add that I found it very difficult to stay on the treadmill for any amount of time due to boredom. I bought a treadmill for home ( Sole F80 - very nice machine) and put a TV w/ cable and a dvd player in front of it. What really keeps me going though is the Xbox 360 with multiplayer matches of Call of Duty and a boom box w/ custom mixed CDs. I can get so immersed in that game that I don't notice the 40 minutes to an hour of running.
- wazoox 15y ago
  I run in the woods, and it's the best possible time to let my mind wander, too. BTW I think it's probably bad in the long term to live in perpetual visual stimulation, so maybe you should consider the good sides of "boredom".
  - gte910h 15y ago
    It's worse to stop exercising.
  - johnwatson11218 15y ago
    I like to go mountain biking but I live in Phoenix, AZ. It gets so hot here that it really isn't safe to exercise outdoors for several months out of the year. Maybe early in the morning but I'm never up that early.
    - georgieporgie 15y ago
      I went mountain biking year round in Phoenix when I lived there, and I'm terrible at getting up early. Fill up that Camelbak and you'll be fine. I also cycled 15 miles to work on my road bike, on what turned out to be the hottest of the prior several years (116, I rode in around 11am).
- megablast 15y ago
  Is there nowhere good to run or cycle near you? You will get a lot more out of it if there is. I have been a big cyclist, but only started running in Sydney, since it is dangerous to listen to music and cycle in that city. But there are plenty of parks to run in and listen to music.
sayemm 15y ago
Cool article, this reminds me of how the memory championships mentioned in Joshua Foer's book "Moonwalking With Einstein" (http://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/159420229X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317239250&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Rememberi...) all workout and watch their personal fitness in order to optimize their mental performance. Gary Kasparov used to also exercise a lot too prior to chess competitions.
tryitnow 15y ago
Apparently, aerobic exercise has been shown to have a positive effect on mental performance: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exercise-can-make-you-smarter/ http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exerci... I don't know of any studies showing that anaerobic (e.g. weight lifting) can have a similar effect. My ideal workout regimen would incorporate both. My actual regimen is just going for a 10 minute walk then coming back to read HN. Damn you HN, why are you so interesting!
100k 15y ago
There is a book about the benefits of exercise on the brain. Studies have found exercise to be useful for a lot of brain problems, everything from dementia to depression. As the author puts it, if exercise could be put in a pill it would be considered a miracle drug. The writing style is a bit gee-wiz, but I actually learned some useful stuff from the book. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113506 http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-B...

163 points by wallflower 15y ago

tsuru 15y ago

Rule #1 in Brain Rules, http://brainrules.net/the-rules http://brainrules.net/the-rules

> More immediately, Dr. Davis speculates, re-energized brain cells could behave like mitochondrial-drenched muscle cells, becoming more resistant to fatigue and, since bodily fatigue is partly mediated by signals from the brain, allowing you to withstand more exercise. This corresponds with the experience of sports scientists and coaches: more highly adapted athletes can withstand more training; and indeed more training is required to disrupt homeostasis in order to create further adaptation. But it's a diminishing process. A beginning trainee can get strong with 3 sessions, 45 minutes a week, and get linear gains in every single session. An elite-level weightlifter can find themselves spending 6 months on a complicated program to add 5kg to their maximum singles.

skittles 15y ago
I've heard of a study that showed that the first set of a strength-building exercise (like bench-pressing) gives one something like 85% of the benefit possible for the session. The 2nd set gets the lifter up into the mid 90s. A 3rd set has almost no affect on overall fitness. More sets risk negative returns. I took that knowledge and started doing one-set per lift (actually one warm-up set with about 50% of the weight I intended to lift followed by the real set). I had positive results while spending much less time and effort.
- jacques_chester 15y ago
  It's ... more complicated than that. For example: a beginning trainee can use almost any scheme and make progress. An advanced trainee: not so much. Their program will need to manipulate intensity, repetitions, volume, density, frequency and exercise mix to continue making gains. For intermediate to advanced lifters, a good reference is Prilepin's Table, which gives set/rep/totals based on intensity (% of your 1-rep maximum for that exercise). For example, when I do 95%+ singles, I aim for 6 or 7 singles. For 90-95% doubles, I aim to do 4-6 sets.
  - alexgartrell 15y ago
    This is pretty unrelated, but since you bring up rep ranges, I figured what the hell. As I've gotten older (I'm only 22 now, but I started lifting weights when I was 12 so it semi-counts) I've found that I get way more benefit from a bodybuilder style workout. Specifically, rather than work my way up from 5's to triples to singles, I'll do 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps per exercise. I've found that it allows me to target the muscle and avoid strain on my joints. The reason I bring that up is because I wonder how that compares neurologically to low volume high intensity workouts such as the ones you're doing.
    - jacques_chester 15y ago
      Training for strength has a number of components, but the two ones that matter are, in order: 1. Central nervous system adaptation; developing the ability to recruit the largest muscle fibres, to recruit them more completely and to recruit them faster. 2. Myofibrillar hypertrophy; causing the myofibrils, the structures that generate force, to grow larger. (It's possible to provoke sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which causes fluid build up in muscles -- it grows larger but not stronger). I am unfamiliar with the physiology of exactly how the CNS produces its adaptations, but I would be surprised if there wasn't measurable effects on the brain, if only the parts related to motor function. Bodybuilding-style training -- high reps, isolation movements -- is generally easier on the CNS, but has only limited strength development potential. (For an enlightening read, get a copy of Zatsiorsky & Kramer's Science and Practice of Strength Training 2nd ed).
    - Florin_Andrei 15y ago
      Resistance training (colloquially "weight lifting") is the most efficient tool for body transformation, regardless of gender, age and goals. Whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat, it gets you there in the shortest amount of time (both time in the gym, and calendar time). Once you reach your goals, feel free to switch to a more diverse regimen for maintenance. EDIT: 15-rep sets is not "bodybuilder's workout". It's a waste of time. Either lift heavy, or go outside and do cardio. That in-between never-never land should be avoided. EDIT2: Let me restate this. Above a certain set length, weight lifting ceases to train strength - which is its main external goal. The opinions differ, but in general the limit is estimated around 10 ... 12: if your set is that long, the weight you're using is too easy. Use heavier loads, so that you cannot do such long sets. In practice, the longest sets that are profitable are 8 reps. If you're worried about strain and injuries, do warm-ups with 67% the working load - a short set of a few reps at 67%, maybe repeated once if things are really sketchy with your joints, should be enough. Then lift with a powerful, but fluid and controlled motion. Never jerk the weight.
- scott_s 15y ago
  The fact that strength athletes do not follow this regime - powerlifters, Olympic-style weightlifters, strong-man and bodybuilders - should give you pause. What should give you further pause is that people who use strength training as a supplement to their main sport also don't follow this regime.
  - skittles 15y ago
    I was talking about getting into shape, not competing in the Olympics. If you could get into good shape doing one hard set per lift, wouldn't that make more sense than spending 2 to 3 times the effort in the gym? It's all about goals. I don't lift weights to get huge or compete in anything. I lift for functional strength and weight loss. Others may benefit from knowing that they don't have to spend an hour or more in the gym to get impressive results.
    - scott_s 15y ago
      Then the points the others brought up become relevant. If you're not in shape and have done no prior strength training, any strength training you do will have results.
    - nasmorn 15y ago
      I think it makes perfect sense. Especially when you take into account, that anyone can do 6 months of strength training but doing it forever all your life without pause is quite hard at least for me.
    - Mvandenbergh 15y ago
      Yes, that would make sense. Take into account though that for many people most of their gym time is overhead, especially if they don't have equipment at home. A large % of time is taken up by getting to and from the gym, getting changed, taking a shower, setting up the right weights on the bar and doing warm-ups, cool-downs & stretching. Because of this, adding an extra set doesn't mean that you'll take 2-3 times as long in total. Determining whether the faster gains you get from doing the additional sets are worth the marginal time depends on a number of factors. If you have plenty of time available for workouts, then do the 2-3 sets and reach your goals faster, if your time is extremely constrained, then the extra 20 minutes per workout might not be worth it
- Florin_Andrei 15y ago
  I'm not comfortable with that conclusion. To make progress, you need to stimulate muscles deeply. One set typically cannot recruit all fibers in the muscle. That's why you do more sets, to fatigue some of them, then recruit the rest in subsequent sets. To gain strength, you need to lift around 70% ... 90% of your 1RM (one-rep-max - the maximum load that allows the complete execution of exactly one repetition). On the lower end of that spectrum, that means 8 rep sets. On the higher end, that means 3 rep sets. I'd be fine with doing one set of 8 reps at 70% 1RM. But it just doesn't sound right to only do one set of 3 reps, even if it's 90% 1RM. There's no way you're stimulating the whole muscle. Lots of fibers will remain unrecruited, and will not be pushed to improve. Perhaps you're stimulating the same muscle with several different exercises during the same session, but then you're not really doing "one set". All this boils down to: you need around 24 ... 25 reps per exercise to really dig into all fibers. Shorter sets = more sets = higher load. Longer sets = fewer sets = lower load. For whole body training, this strategy leads to 40 ... 60 minutes required per session to stimulate all major muscles. Given 3 sessions per week, that means 2 ... 3 hours per week of weight lifting. That's not excessive by any means. Basically, I consider all of the above as the gold standard of whole-body strength training for amateurs. Using these principles (and others) I transformed myself from a pencil-neck into the guy who bench presses 100 kg (220 lb).
  - skittles 15y ago
    A better way to look at it is that 1 hard set gets one most of the benefit that is possible from the exercise. An athlete would definitely want to do 2 or 3 sets (or more depending on level of competition, etc.), but an average person just trying to get into shape or maintain shape doesn't. I went from pencil-neck to bench pressing 215 lbs using the one-hard-set method.
    - Florin_Andrei 15y ago
      Oh, it will work, no doubt, just at less than the ideal speed. Such a minimalist program was espoused by Mike Mentzer, one of the great bodybuilders of past decades. But his views are not considered mainstream. I agree that a full 24 ... 25 reps (3x8, 8x3, 5x5, etc.) program is not required for maintenance only. To get into shape... well, I guess it depends on the temperament. I'm inclined to achieve the goal as quickly as possible, then focus on something else. Hence my previous reply.
- onan_barbarian 15y ago
  This is broscience. A couple position papers from reputable sources (NSCA, NCSM) directly contradict this, the first based on a meta-analysis: http://www.nsca-lift.org/HotTopic/download/Single%20vs%20Multiple%20Sets.pdf http://www.nsca-lift.org/HotTopic/download/Single%20vs%20Mul... http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2009/03000/Progression_Models_in_Resistance_Training_for.26.aspx http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2009/03000/Progre... Aside from the fact that the tradeoff with doing 1 set is actually much less performance improvement long-term, the main problem with this idea is that it just doesn't take all that much time to bust out 3 sets vs 1 set of something, at least for the more critical, whole body exercises (squat, deadlift, bench, chin, row, clean...) Factoring in generalized warmup, cool-down, travel to the gym, getting changed in and out of exercise clothes, showering, etc - you're talking about a 10-15 extra minutes of training in order achieve substantially greater gains.

keys1234 15y ago

Solve a complex problem or just workout to keep your brain fit.

ern 15y ago

It will be interesting if the mice are subjected to behavioral testing over time to see if the exercise-induced changes improve neurocognitive outcomes. Hopefully they are working on that.

Wolf_Larsen 15y ago

This is a great podcast about exercise and the brain. Most interesting to me is how exercise directly increases brain plasticity : http://brainsciencpodcast.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/brain-science-podcast-33-exercise-and-the-brain/ http://brainsciencpodcast.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/brain-sci...

toblender 15y ago

Shouldn't all jocks be Einsteins? All jokes aside, exercise reduces stress. Which can really affect your mental performance. I found that when I was working out consistently my academic scores were higher. My number one tip to people going into university is to find time to workout 3 times a week to balance out the stress.

johnnyjustice 15y ago
What kind of exercise?
- fjordan 15y ago
  I have personally found the most benefit by basing my workouts around one of the main powerlifting exercises - squat, bench press, or deadlift. Cardiovascular exercise is best performed after a weightlifting session and provides additional benefits.
jamesbkel 15y ago
I've never really had any issues with stress, so I can't speak to that. However, somewhat related, I found daily exercise (more intense on some days, but at least something every day) did a lot to improve my sleep. In turn that made me much more effective when awake.
- seanalltogether 15y ago
  Same, working out every morning caused my body to fall into very predictable patterns around eating, sleeping, etc... I think most of all I appreciated leveling off my body. Using a mouse and keyboard all day would put certain stresses on certain muscles, but after 2 months of lifting weights the localized soreness went away.
gwern 15y ago
> Shouldn't all jocks be Einsteins? If they were, how would you know? Almost by definition, their interests do not incline towards physics and they spend little time on it (compared to whatever makes them a 'jock'). Even if they change their minds, it's a bit late - hard to become a top-notch physicist when you don't learn anything about it until you're 25 or 30 or something.

brildum 15y ago

For those who are interested in exercise but haven't enjoyed it in the past (running, swimming, lifting weights can be boring), I'd recommend rock-climbing. Four months ago I joined a rock-climbing gym and I've really enjoyed it. Its a good workout, but its also a mental challenge. Each route up the wall can be completed in different ways, so it takes a bit of problem solving to determine the best way to finish a route.

Psyonic 15y ago
I've been considering getting into rock-climbing, but I'm concerned that reliance on a partner will make it hard to go. Has this been a problem for you? If so, what have you done to deal with it? You can boulder by yourself, yes?
- cgs 15y ago
  Just be careful bouldering as a beginner. It's really easy to try something that you don't have the hand strength/tendon strength for yet and tweak something. Some gyms have autobelays which let you climb without a partner, so that might be an option.
- georgieporgie 15y ago
  I'm going to slightly counter brildum's statements and point out that I was unable to stay on a bouldering climb for something like six months after I started top-rope climbing. I just didn't have the strength (less important) and skill (more important). Admittedly, I have known a few people who've gone straight into bouldering and pulled it off. Give it a try. If you can, great. By the way, one of the best things about rock climbing is the social aspect. You should look at partnering as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. I've made a lot of good friends at the gym over the years.
- brildum 15y ago
  Yes, you can boulder by yourself (I find bouldering more fun anyways). Most gyms have sign up sheets to connect solo climbers with others. Even better, when you sign up at a gym you'll probably receive guest passes, take a friend some time and they'll probably want to sign up themselves because its so fun. My group has increased from 2 to 4 over the last few months. EDIT: For those who are unaware of the climbing terms, here are some brief descriptions: Bouldering: Climbing solo, with no gear, usually up a wall ~8-12 ft (with mats below, in case you fall). These routes are usually tougher focus more on technique/strength rather than endurance. Top-Roping: Climbing with a partner (one climber, one belayer), both partners must have the proper gear and tie in to the ropes in order to climb. These routes are usually 20-50ft and require a good deal of endurance to reach the top.

angkec 15y ago

I started mountain biking this April, and watched my entrepreneurial performance grow. Before that I was miserable in the suburban Michigan, can't get anything done. Now I'm vibrant and energetic. I've just got my co-founder to buy a mountain bike so he can exercise enough as well. We'll see how big an effect it has on him.

gtani 15y ago

Anybody try controlled trial of vinpocetine or GPC-choline? In meantime, play piano, meditate, bright lights http://www.sott.net/articles/show/216086-Mental-muscle-six-ways-to-boost-your-brain http://www.sott.net/articles/show/216086-Mental-muscle-six-w...

zerostar07 15y ago

Maybe it's good for Alzheimer's patients, but how does this affect everyday situations. It's not like our neurons need to stretch and relax, so they need more mitochondria. I wonder if they found any other alterations in brain chemistry.

johnwatson11218 15y ago

I just want to add that I found it very difficult to stay on the treadmill for any amount of time due to boredom. I bought a treadmill for home ( Sole F80 - very nice machine) and put a TV w/ cable and a dvd player in front of it. What really keeps me going though is the Xbox 360 with multiplayer matches of Call of Duty and a boom box w/ custom mixed CDs. I can get so immersed in that game that I don't notice the 40 minutes to an hour of running.

wazoox 15y ago
I run in the woods, and it's the best possible time to let my mind wander, too. BTW I think it's probably bad in the long term to live in perpetual visual stimulation, so maybe you should consider the good sides of "boredom".
- gte910h 15y ago
  It's worse to stop exercising.
- johnwatson11218 15y ago
  I like to go mountain biking but I live in Phoenix, AZ. It gets so hot here that it really isn't safe to exercise outdoors for several months out of the year. Maybe early in the morning but I'm never up that early.
  - georgieporgie 15y ago
    I went mountain biking year round in Phoenix when I lived there, and I'm terrible at getting up early. Fill up that Camelbak and you'll be fine. I also cycled 15 miles to work on my road bike, on what turned out to be the hottest of the prior several years (116, I rode in around 11am).
megablast 15y ago
Is there nowhere good to run or cycle near you? You will get a lot more out of it if there is. I have been a big cyclist, but only started running in Sydney, since it is dangerous to listen to music and cycle in that city. But there are plenty of parks to run in and listen to music.

sayemm 15y ago

Cool article, this reminds me of how the memory championships mentioned in Joshua Foer's book "Moonwalking With Einstein" (http://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/159420229X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317239250&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Rememberi...) all workout and watch their personal fitness in order to optimize their mental performance. Gary Kasparov used to also exercise a lot too prior to chess competitions.

tryitnow 15y ago

Apparently, aerobic exercise has been shown to have a positive effect on mental performance: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exercise-can-make-you-smarter/ http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exerci... I don't know of any studies showing that anaerobic (e.g. weight lifting) can have a similar effect. My ideal workout regimen would incorporate both. My actual regimen is just going for a 10 minute walk then coming back to read HN. Damn you HN, why are you so interesting!

100k 15y ago

There is a book about the benefits of exercise on the brain. Studies have found exercise to be useful for a lot of brain problems, everything from dementia to depression. As the author puts it, if exercise could be put in a pill it would be considered a miracle drug. The writing style is a bit gee-wiz, but I actually learned some useful stuff from the book. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113506 http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-B...