Exercise seems to boost brain health in different ways, it triggers the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which spurs the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with learning and memory
The first time I tried orienteering, back in 2011, my two teammates and I found ourselves locked in a back-and-forth battle with another team. We were grown men, veterans of the national running team; they were 13-year-old girls.
That memory bubbled to the surface when I read a recent study from researchers at McMaster University. They tested the effects of orienteering on brain function and memory, comparing it to plain old exercise at a similar intensity. The results, which were, add to a growing pile of evidence that engaging your brain while you work out can supercharge the cognitive benefits of exercise.
The McMaster researchers were looking for more immediate effects based on emerging ideas about the role of lactate. Traditionally, lactate – or, as it used to be referred to, lactic acid – was thought to be a “poison” that made your muscles burn during exercise. But scientists now believe that it functions as both a chemical signal and as a fuel for cells throughout the body, including brain cells.
To test this idea, Waddington had 63 volunteers complete a 1.3-kilometre route in one of three conditions: walking, running, or running while navigating, i.e. orienteering. Before and after, they took blood tests to measure lactate and BDNF and administered a series of cognitive tests.
Team Lactate Brain Memory Bdnf Checkpoint Navigation Mcmaster University Hamilton Canada
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