Here’s yet another reason why having normal blood sugar is so incredibly important: It impacts brain health.
Exercise helps control blood sugar. Every body needs to exercise.
A study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has revealed that exercise can improve brain function by influencing how the brain responds to insulin.
This finding could lead to therapies designed to help prevent or slow down the progression of conditions like dementia.
The research, published in Aging Cell, shows that physical activity may enhance cognitive abilities by improving the brain’s ability to use insulin.
Lead author Steven Malin, associate professor at Rutgers in the Department of Kinesiology and Health, says in the paper that exercise may improve one’s cognitive skills plus memory by boosting the brain’s response to insulin.
Neuronal Extracellular Vesicles
These are tiny particles released by brain cells.
This “cell dust” was once thought to be insignificant.
But now, researchers know that these vesicles have a role in transporting essential molecules, like proteins, between cells.
The researchers targeted extracellular vesicles that transport proteins involved in insulin sensitivity, particularly a protein called Akt.
Insulin sensitivity is a good thing. What you don’t want is insulin non-sensitivity, better known as insulin resistance.
Insulin sensitivity refers to how well the body responds to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
People with high insulin sensitivity can use blood glucose effectively, which helps maintain balanced blood sugar levels.
But people with low insulin sensitivity, which is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, experience insulin resistance.
This means their brain cells resist or don’t respond well to insulin.
When the brain is apathetic towards this crucial hormone, it negatively affects cognition and memory.
How the Research Was Done
The researchers were able to isolate these vesicles or “cell dust” from the blood of 21 participants in an experiment.
The volunteers, with an average age of 60 and prediabetes, participated in 12 exercise sessions over two weeks.
The sessions, lasting 60 minutes each, ranged from moderate to high intensity.
Before and after exercising, participants consumed a glucose drink, and blood samples were taken to measure changes in insulin sensitivity and the number of extracellular vesicles in circulation.
The Results
After each exercise session, the number of neuronal vesicles containing proteins involved in insulin sensitivity increased.
This included a notable increase in Akt, which is important for insulin signaling in the brain.
This study shows for the first time exercise’s impact on insulin signaling from the vesicles.
The vesicles are an indicator of a brain’s insulin sensitivity.
Get Moving
©Lorra Garrick
The findings of the study suggest that exercise may enhance the brain’s ability to respond to insulin; proper brain function depends on the efficacious response to insulin by the brain.
You certainly don’t want your brain cells to struggle communicating with each other.
Exercise has long been known to benefit brain function, but the specific mechanisms were not well understood.
Previous studies have shown that high blood sugar can interfere with the brain’s ability to recall information and learn new things.
This study reveals the mechanism of how the brain’s insulin sensitivity is enhanced.
Insulin is also involved in maintaining proper blood flow to the brain.
In people with prediabetes or insulin resistance, brain insulin levels may not be sufficient, which can increase the risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s.
This study suggests that improving insulin sensitivity in the brain through exercise could help prevent or delay the onset of dementia.
Stop Making Excuses for Avoiding Exercise
It’s one thing when someone says they don’t like the way exercise feels.
I had heard this well more than once when I was a personal trainer at a gym.
People who visit gyms, obviously, acknowledge the importance of exercise.
This study could only heighten their motivation.
However, something very alarming has been gaining momentum since 2020: the rejection of exercise – even light forms or yoga – in the name of “fat activism” and smacking back at the so-called diet culture.
This destructive movement is prevalent on TikTok and Instagram.
We can’t make the rejection of exercise about spitting back at diet culture or the distress that someone experienced growing up overweight.
EVERY BODY – yes, every body, big or small, hefty or skinny – absolutely needs to exercise – if for no other reason, for brain health, to lower the risk of dementia!
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health.
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