Jogging And Barbell Training Have Different Effects On The Brain. We Will Tell You Exactly How

Jogging and barbell training have different effects on the brain. We will tell you exactly how

Low-intensity and high-intensity workouts have different effects on brain activity and mood. Scientists have established this using modern brain imaging techniques and interviewing athletes.

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Low-intensity and high-intensity workouts have different effects on brain activity and mood. This was shown by a study by the University Hospital Bonn, published in Brain Plasticity.

The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at rest. This non-invasive technique allows you to detect the activation of certain areas of the brain under the influence of certain factors.

The study involved 25 male athletes. Their low and high intensity workouts were done on different days and lasted for 30 minutes. Participants underwent fMRI before and after exercise and answered questions about their mood.

Participants in the study performed exercises of varying intensity on a treadmill (treadmill). Light exercise was aerobic, heavy exercise anaerobic. Scientists determined how hard the load was by examining certain blood markers in athletes. Typical examples of aerobic exercise are brisk walking, jogging and dancing, and anaerobic exercise is sprint running and strength training.

Scientists found that both types of exercise led to significant improvements in mood. According to the results of fMRI tests, after low-intensity training, an increase in functional communication in neural networks that are responsible for control over cognitive processes and attention was revealed. High-intensity training led to an increase in functional connectivity in neural networks that control emotional processes, as well as a decrease in functional connectivity in neural networks responsible for motor function.

“We believe functional neuroimaging will go a long way in uncovering the interactions between the body and the brain. These new methods allow us to 'look' right into the brains of a group of athletes and, perhaps more importantly, to understand the dynamic changes in brain structure and function that are associated with the transition from a sedentary lifestyle to a healthy lifestyle,”said leading researchers Angelica Schmitt (Angelika Schmitt) and Henning Boecker.