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New research studied health markers of 30 inactive adults as they started a 12-week training program, looking at markers such as VO2 max and BDNF, otherwise known as a brain-boosting molecule.
Researchers found that levels of BDNF increased after exercise as participants got fitter.
Experts believe the fitter you get, the stronger BDNF response you may develop over time, meaning there’s a benefit no matter where you are on your fitness journey.
There are so many reasons to work out, from mental health perks to straight-up physical fitness. But new research suggests that ramping up your fitness routine can spark a larger release of brain-boosting proteins.
There are a few caveats to the findings, including that researchers exclusively focused on people who were considered inactive at the start of the study. But experts say the results underscore the importance of working out to support your brain health (as well as your overall health).
Here’s what the research suggests, plus what could be behind this link.
Meet the experts: Flaminia Ronca, PhD, lead study author and associate professor in the Department of Targeted Intervention at University College London; Amalia Peterson, MD, behavioral neurologist and assistant professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Davide Cappon, PhD, director of Neuropsychology at Tufts Medical Center.
What did the study find?
For the study, which was published in the journal Brain Research, researchers had 30 participants who were inactive go through a 12-week training program where they cycled three times a week. The team tracked a slew of health markers along the way, including VO2max and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). They also gave participants a series of cognitive and memory tests and measured changes in brain activity in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex controls executive functions, including decision-making, emotion regulation, attention, and impulsivity.
The researchers found that post-exercise BDNF levels increased after participants got fitter and were linked to changes in brain activity related to attention and other aspects of executive function.
They also discovered that as little as 15 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise triggered the release of BDNF. During the final week of the trial, the participants showed a larger BDNF spike after intense exercise than before they started the program. (This appeared to be linked to better VO2max.)
Those larger, exercise-induced increases in BDNF levels were also linked with changes in activity across the prefrontal cortex during attention and inhibition tasks. Overall, the findings suggest that increasing your exercise routine could increase BDNF and potentially boost aspects of executive function, such as attention.
What is BDNF, and what’s the connection to brain health?
BDNF is a growth factor for neurons, which are cells in the nervous system. “In general, greater BDNF is correlated with better brain health,” explains Amalia Peterson, MD, behavioral neurologist and assistant professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “It plays a role in regulating the connections between brain cells.”
Higher levels of BDNF are usually linked to better learning, memory, and resilience with aging, “but it’s one piece of a bigger puzzle—not the whole story,” says Davide Cappon, PhD, director of Neuropsychology at Tufts Medical Center.
How does exercise improve BDNF?
Exercise pushes your body to release more BDNF, which is secreted in the brain and through muscles, says Flaminia Ronca, PhD, lead study author and associate professor in the Department of Targeted Intervention at University College London.
It also improves blood flow and energy use, which seems to stimulate the production of BDNF, according to Cappon. “As people get fitter, they may actually develop a stronger BDNF response to each bout of exercise, suggesting the system becomes more responsive over time,” he says.
So, if you’re already physically active, you can still see the BDNF-boosting benefits of working out. “While our body already produces BDNF, we produce [more] every time we exercise,” Ronca says. “And if we are fitter, we produce a higher amount after every exercise bout.”
Ultimately, this can help people feel more clear-headed when they have a regular exercise routine in place.
This also tracks with the anecdotal evidence that Cappon encounters. “Patients will say things like ‘I feel sharper’ or ‘my head is clearer.’ That lines up with what we see—exercise can improve attention, processing speed, and mental energy, even in the short term.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women’s Health. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health.
She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women’s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast’s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter.
Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.
