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January 6, 2025 • 1hr 49min
How to Use Exercise to Improve Your Brain’s Health, Longevity & Performance
Huberman Lab
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses how different forms of exercise impact brain health, longevity and cognitive performance. He explains the key mechanisms by which physical activity enhances brain function both acutely and chronically, while providing specific, actionable recommendations for incorporating brain-optimizing exercise into your routine.
How to Use Exercise to Improve Your Brain’s Health, Longevity & Performance
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Key Takeaways
- Exercise improves brain health and performance through multiple mechanisms:
- Increased arousal and alertness via adrenaline/norepinephrine pathways
- Enhanced blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain
- Release of growth factors like BDNF that promote neuroplasticity
- Osteocalcin release from bones that supports hippocampal function
- Four essential types of exercise for brain health:
- Long slow distance (zone 2) cardio - 45-75 minutes
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT) - at least once per week
- Time under tension resistance training
- Explosive jumping/eccentric control movements
- Exercise timing flexibility: Benefits can be obtained whether exercise is done before, during, or after learning tasks due to elevated arousal and blood flow effects
- Sleep is critical: Many of exercise's brain benefits are mediated through improved sleep quality and architecture
- Consistency matters: Brain health starts declining after 10+ days without exercise
Introduction
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses how different forms of exercise impact brain health, longevity and cognitive performance. He explains the key mechanisms by which physical activity enhances brain function both acutely and chronically, while providing specific, actionable recommendations for incorporating brain-optimizing exercise into your routine.
Topics Discussed
Exercise Types and Brain Benefits (6:55)
- Two main categories explored in research:
- Cardiovascular exercise - varying durations and intensities
- Resistance training - compound and isolation movements
- Most studies show positive effects regardless of exercise type
- Benefits occur through multiple parallel mechanisms
Arousal and Learning (18:20)
- Autonomic arousal is key mechanism:
- Exercise increases alertness and focus
- Enhanced learning and memory formation
- Benefits occur during and after exercise
- "Increases in autonomic arousal that occur as you're trying to encode new information significantly improve learning"
High-Intensity Training Effects (29:16)
- HIIT benefits:
- Improves executive function and cognitive flexibility
- Enhanced cerebral blood flow
- Can be very brief (even 6-second sprints show benefits)
- Caution against overtraining: Multiple HIIT sessions per day can reduce cognitive performance
Exercise and Brain Energy (36:57)
- Key pathways:
- Adrenaline release from adrenal glands
- Vagus nerve activation
- Norepinephrine release in brain
- Exercise provides energy through these arousal pathways
- Compound movements best activate these systems
Osteocalcin and BDNF (55:45)
- Bone-brain connection:
- Bones release osteocalcin during exercise
- Supports hippocampal function and memory
- Works with BDNF to promote neuroplasticity
- Jumping exercises particularly effective for triggering these pathways
Exercise Programming Recommendations (1:11:17)
- Weekly exercise should include:
- Zone 2 cardio (45-75 minutes)
- HIIT sessions
- Time under tension resistance training
- Explosive movements with eccentric control
- Focus on safety and proper progression
Sleep and Exercise (1:28:09)
- Key points:
- Sleep mediates many exercise benefits for brain
- Exercise improves sleep architecture
- One night of poor sleep shouldn't prevent exercise
- Higher injury risk when sleep-deprived
Super-Agers and Brain Health (1:33:51)
- Anterior mid-cingulate cortex (AMCC):
- Key brain region for resilience and persistence
- Maintains/increases volume in "super-agers"
- Activated by challenging activities we'd rather avoid
- Including challenging exercises helps maintain AMCC function
Conclusion
Exercise provides powerful benefits for brain health and cognitive performance through multiple mechanisms. The key is consistency and including various types of exercise: zone 2 cardio, HIIT, resistance training, and explosive movements. Additionally, incorporating challenging activities that push us out of our comfort zone can help maintain brain volume and function as we age. Sleep quality remains crucial for realizing the full benefits of exercise on brain health.
The episode provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how exercise impacts the brain and offers practical recommendations for optimizing both physical and cognitive performance through strategic exercise programming.
