Buzz
Looking for an excuse to step away from your desk? According to scientists, each step we take sends a surge of blood to the brain, enhancing mental clarity and boosting our overall mood. This research will be shared today at the Experimental Biology 2017 meeting in Chicago.
It’s widely known that exercise improves our happiness. It gets our hearts pumping and fills our bodies with positive hormones. However, until recently, researchers hadn’t fully explored how it impacts blood flow to the brain and how that affects our mental state.
Scientists from New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) first examined the blood flow effects of biking, and later running. They discovered both activities enhance blood circulation to the brain, as each step or pedal stroke compresses the arteries, sending pulses of blood upwards. The effect was particularly strong in runners, whose feet strike the ground with greater force.
The researchers questioned whether walking, with its gentler steps, could have the same effect. They connected 12 healthy young participants to heart monitors and ultrasound devices before having them walk on a treadmill.
Indeed, even a leisurely walk increased blood flow to the participants’ brains. The result was notable, falling between the smooth effects of cycling and the more intense impact of running.
"What is surprising is that it took so long for us to finally measure these obvious hydraulic effects on cerebral blood flow," said lead author Ernest Greene in a statement. "There is an optimizing rhythm between brain blood flow and walking. Stride rates and their foot impacts align with our normal heart rate (about 120/minute) when walking briskly."
The researchers suggest that these increases in blood—and thus oxygen—flow to the brain may help clear mental fog and contribute to an “overall sense of wellbeing during exercise.”
