Live data from Hacker News

Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

directorsblog.nih.gov

41–50 of 186 posts

Re: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

#41
post #3

The connection between exercise and brain health has now been super conclusively and astonishingly shown, but what are some possible evolutionary reasons for this connection? Maybe the extra energetic investment in brain health is only justified when there is an energetic surplus, and doing exercise correlates with having extra energy available? (As opposed to starving and thus needing to conserve energy.) But that d…

If you are being active, you probably want to be able to do more. Move easily, see things, predict ahead, etc.

When you are not active, you don't need to be doing those things as much.

Re: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

#42
post #3

The connection between exercise and brain health has now been super conclusively and astonishingly shown, but what are some possible evolutionary reasons for this connection? Maybe the extra energetic investment in brain health is only justified when there is an energetic surplus, and doing exercise correlates with having extra energy available? (As opposed to starving and thus needing to conserve energy.) But that d…

>but what are some possible evolutionary reasons for this connection? Maybe you should be asking the opposite question like why should evolution reward sedentary life? Human history involves daily exercise in some form that is more strenuous than a long walk and that's clearly connected to our general health and well-being both mentally and physically (why should these be separate to evolution?). What we're doing tod…

> Either modern society will collapse and we'll go back to farming or hunting and gathering, or we'll invent a exercise pill.

Or maybe people will just learn to exercise regularly and stay healthy? That seems more likely than the collapse of society.

Re: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

#43
post #33

well im surprised to be the first person in this thread to ask this question (if i am not mistaken) but what about supplementing the protein instead of working out?

Generally, proteins you eat get broken down by the digestive system into their component amino acids. There are some notable exceptions where proteins can apparently get absorbed intact, but generally proteins are broken down upon injestion. Supplementing intra-venously might be the only option.

Re: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

#46
post #3

The connection between exercise and brain health has now been super conclusively and astonishingly shown, but what are some possible evolutionary reasons for this connection? Maybe the extra energetic investment in brain health is only justified when there is an energetic surplus, and doing exercise correlates with having extra energy available? (As opposed to starving and thus needing to conserve energy.) But that d…

A couple possible reasons: surviving to hunt, fighting/battle and celebration/training/building activities.

If you have an elevated heart rate and exercising in the past that might mean going after food where you have to outwit, thus the brain needed to fuel/prepare for that.

Additionally, exercise could be fighting, you might also need elevated brain performance during a battle for survival.

It might also mean you are doing some work to get a system in place for food and providing that for others in the group.

Exercising is probably tied to survival, nourishment and providing. The brain probably has a reward system because it can expend more energy if there is more to be had soon.

Re: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because an enormous chunk of the population still refuses to exercise and/or diet and articles like this help motivate some of that subset.

Or piss them off. Exercise is tiring and painful and time-consuming (especially if you count in after-exercise showers). Also, I don't like the whole culture around exercising and fitness. Gimme a damn pill or something. More seriously though, I really find no pleasure in exercise and would like to approach it in the most cost-effective way (i.e. maximum benefit for minimum time used). Any hints on exercise regime op…

Stronglifts.

3 days/week. Takes about 30-45 minutes. Alternate A/B each week. So week 1 is ABA, week 2 is BAB, repeating.

    A: Squats, Overhead Press, Deadlifts
    B: Squats, Brench Press, Barbell Row
All exercises are five sets of five reps except Deadlifts which are one set of five reps.

Ignore the marketing speak: http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ - has all the info you'd need and a free app to track your exercises. I highly recommend it.

Still tiring. Not painful unless you have bad form, and 3 hours/week isn't that time consuming (IMO).

You might not necessarily lose a ton of weight - but you will feel stronger. And you'll notice when you go from struggling with light weights to effortlessly lifting triple that.

Re: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because an enormous chunk of the population still refuses to exercise and/or diet and articles like this help motivate some of that subset.

Or piss them off. Exercise is tiring and painful and time-consuming (especially if you count in after-exercise showers). Also, I don't like the whole culture around exercising and fitness. Gimme a damn pill or something. More seriously though, I really find no pleasure in exercise and would like to approach it in the most cost-effective way (i.e. maximum benefit for minimum time used). Any hints on exercise regime op…

http://stronglifts.com/5x5/

Re: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein

#49
post #3

The connection between exercise and brain health has now been super conclusively and astonishingly shown, but what are some possible evolutionary reasons for this connection? Maybe the extra energetic investment in brain health is only justified when there is an energetic surplus, and doing exercise correlates with having extra energy available? (As opposed to starving and thus needing to conserve energy.) But that d…

As usual, evolution means there might just be no reason, certainly not one that is reasonable .

I was going to say this as well.

Unless it's explicitly linked to surviving natural selection before reproduction, it's more likely that this finding is just a pointless by-product of another biomolecular pathway, even though it may have some discernible benefits.

It's like trying to puzzle out why there are nipples on male mammals - it usually devolves to some creative stories and hand waving.

Post reply on HN