Running

UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN BENEFITS OF THE ‘RUNNER’S HIGH’

Written by Sarah Braithwaite, a WellBe&Co Neuroscience-based Life & Health Coach

We have all had that same message drummed into our heads since we were young – ‘eat plenty vegetables, exercise often and get enough sleep’ , and while we are all familiar with the physical benefits these have on our body, most are not aware of the incredible impacts had on our brains – particularly when it comes to exercise. Our brain and body is intrinsically connected and while neurology is flowing downwards, physiology is flowing upwards and to separate the dual effects on one another would be impossible.

The love-hate relationship of endurance running is real – time, commitment, pain, and pressure, versus that insane ‘runners high’ that keeps us coming back for more and more. Let us unpack the latest science on brain health in relation to exercise – after all knowledge is power, and these juicy facts may give you a whole new appreciation for those long arduous training sessions.

How exercise actually rewires your brain

More than a mood boost

The latest buzz word in the neuroscience world, ‘neuroplasticity’, means our brains are able to change and rewire depending on many factors, one being physical movement. Beside the mental health benefits of reducing anxiety and depression, regular physical exercise is actually rewiring your brain for better cognitive function as well as improvement of emotional regulation. Exercise also allows the release of the stress hormone, cortisol, from the body which is hugely beneficial and explains why we experience mood changes after a workout.

It’s all biochemistry

During exercise, the body begins to produce endorphins which are our ‘feel good’ hormones. The effects of these endorphins plus the release of important neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, means that you are getting all the right kinds of ‘highs’ while you are running. Dopamine affects the reward pathways in the brain while serotonin stabilizes our moods – both are essential to mental health and well-being. While physical exercise is best, studies have also shown the mind boggling benefits to the brain from simply visualising a detailed exercise session in your head – what better evidence to prove the brain’s role in physical movement?

 

Run

4 Ways to maximize your training for better brain health

Okay so now that we have indisputable evidence of just how great movement is for our minds, here are a few easily implementable training hacks to help you get the most out of it:

  1. Incorporate HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

HIIT-style training has been shown to help prompt new cellular growth in the brain as well as increasing activity between neurons and prompting neuroplasticity. 

  1. Keep consistent

Regular exercise improves memory function in the brain. The hippocampus is responsible for memory and learning, and studies have shown that exercise improves these functions and causes neurogenesis (new cellular growth).

  1. Sweat out the stress

Use exercise as a stress release tool to rid your body of excessive levels of toxic cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone that we produce, and it can become toxic when chronic. Stress can quite literally cause the physical release of cortisol.

  1. Be mindful

Combine exercise with some mindful or visualisation practices to encourage neuroplasticity. The mind battles to distinguish reality from imagination, and the power of visualization is helpful in ingraining those neural pathways that are used when performing the activity. 

  1. Eat the right brain food

The brain thrives off of slow release carbohydrates as well as healthy fats. Dr Tara Swart, a remound Neuroscientist, recommends food such as: eggs, nuts, avos, coconut oil and salmon. Other foods such as sweet potatoes and healthy grains can also be beneficial. 

Movement for the mind 

Regular exercise, like running, really has profound benefits for both the brain and body, and that ‘high’ is there as a reminder to keep coming back for more. And with that in mind, I’m putting on my trainers and hitting the road…

A word from WellBe

This blog was written by Sarah Braithwaite, of MindSight, is a WellBe&Co Neuroscience-based Health & Life Coach, in collaboration with RunMalibu.

December 3, 2020 Move Well Comments Off on UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN BENEFITS OF THE ‘RUNNER’S HIGH’

WANT FAST FAT LOSS? THE HIIT VS LISS FACE-OFF

HIIT and LISS are acronyms for High-Intensity Interval Training and Low-Intensity Steady State respectively. They are two commonly used cardio styles and differ greatly in both practical application and physical effects.

HIIT consists of short, all-out sprint intervals alternated with periods of low-intensity recovery periods. An example would be a 30 second 100% effort sprint followed by a 1-2 minute steady pace walk, repeated 10 times (think sweat, LOTS of sweat). LISS, on the other hand, would involve a constant low-to-moderate paced walk, jog or bike ride at an intensity level that still raises your heat rate but allows for casual conversation.

HIIT, like weight training, is a form of anaerobic exercise, meaning it burns glucose for energy without oxygen being present. During bouts of HIIT training, your body’s fuel burning systems are put under a lot of stress. In order to meet the energy demands you are putting your body under, your body responds in two ways, 1) by increasing the activity of fat-burning enzymes to help free up available energy and 2) by increasing the mitochondrial capacity in your muscles. Mitochondria are the energy-producing units of your body. HIIT thus signals to your body to increase the total mitochondrial density in your muscles, meaning you have more fat-burning units at your disposal.  All of these metabolic adaptations have a cascading and synergistic effect, resulting in enhanced metabolic and fat loss activity over time.

What this means in real-life is that by doing HIIT your body is becoming more physically efficient and effective at turning on and utilizing its fat burning mechanisms and that this fat loss process is not only kept elevated for hours after your training has ended- termed the “afterburn” effect- but rather that these fat-burn changes are stable and lasting.

In contrast, due to the lower-intensity nature of LISS, this cardio strategy does not pose this same metabolic strain, thus limiting its fat burn potential to solely those minutes (or hours) you actively spend at the gym. Your body also has the tendency to adapt quickly to LISS exercise, meaning you will eventually burn fewer and fewer calories following the exact same cardio workout. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you should ditch LISS cardio all together. LISS cardio has many heart-protective and general health-promoting effects that should not be ignored (I personally find it quite therapeutic going for long runs or walks every week). All I’m saying is that slaving away for hours every day on a treadmill or bike hoping to see the physical results you want is not the best approach to cardio if your goal is fat loss.

So who wins? Well if your goal is to lean down and get fit fast- HIIT is your best cardio investment strategy that will ensure you get more burn-for-your-buck in return.

Happy sweating!

March 8, 2019 Eat Well Comments Off on WANT FAST FAT LOSS? THE HIIT VS LISS FACE-OFF