6 Minutes of HIIT for Brain Fitness
Study compares protocols on BDNF production.
Research shows benefits of HIIT for brain fitness. When compared with fasting and light exercise, a short bout of high-intensity interval training on a stationary bicycle is the most effective way to boost production of a protein essential for brain tissue formation, learning and memory, according to a study published in The Journal of Physiology (2023; doi:10.1113//JP283582).
University of Otago researchers in New Zealand conducted the study to identify the most effective way to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Numerous animal studies show that BDNF, a protein, has a neuroprotective effect. Higher production levels of BDNF improve cognitive performance and reduce cognitive disease risks.
Investigators compared fasting for 20 hours; 90 minutes of low-intensity cycling; 6 minutes of high-intensity interval cycling; and combined fasting and exercise. The subjects were 12 physically active males and females ages 18–56. HIIT increased BDNF four to five times more than fasting, which did not change BDNF at all. Nor did prolonged activity, which only slightly increased BDNF. Researchers did not identify why HIIT increased BDNF most effectively.
“We are now studying how fasting for longer durations, for example up to three days, influences BDNF,” said lead study author Travis D. Gibbons, MSc. “We are curious whether exercising hard at the start of a fast accelerates the beneficial effects of fasting. Fasting and exercise are rarely studied together. We think fasting and exercise can be used in conjunction to optimize BDNF production in the human brain.”
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
