Packed with latest neuroscience and physiological research as well as practical advice on how to start an exercise regime, the book SPARK is a road map to gaining and maintaining brain power.
Q&A with Dr. John Ratey
We spoke with the book’s internationally recognized and best-selling author, Harvard Medical School professor Dr. John Ratey about the transformative effects of exercise on the aging brain, the science behind SPARK and what we can do to keep our memory system’s strong. Welcome, Prof. Ratey.
Q: In what ways does exercises improve learning and memory?
A: Exercise improves learning on three levels. It optimizes your mind-set to improve alertness, attention and motivation. It prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another, which helps log new information at the cellular level. And it leads to the development of new nerve cells in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for many aspects of learning and memory. Exercise makes all our brain systems work better. It makes our attention system better so that we can stay with a thought and it makes our memory system better, which is crucial for learning.
Q: Exercising stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin, two of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Why is this important? And how does this improve brain health?
A: Exercise boosts a lot of our neurotransmitters and neuro-hormones. More specifically, dopamine and serotonin go up very quickly when we exercise. Dopamine improves mood, motivation and feelings of wellness. It also kick-starts our attention system. Serotonin is also affected by exercise and it’s vital for mood, impulse control and self-esteem.
Q: Exercise can make us more loving. How so?
A: The hormone oxytocin, which is the bonding and love hormone, is boosted with exercise. This boost helps us become more altruistic, friendlier and more loving.
We’re also more attractive to others after we exercise because we have this love hormone circulating in our bodies. All of this comes together to improve our well being and sense of who we are. It’s this bonding and feeling of connection that we have with others that makes a huge difference in brain growth and brain health.
Q: You say we need stress to help our brain cells grow. But isn’t stress bad for us?
A: Stress is often misunderstood because it can be both positive and negative. Exercise itself is stress on the body and the brain, and we need this kind of stress for brain cells to grow. The stress that most people think of is toxic stress — the type of stress that doesn’t go away. When you’re chronically stressed, your body and brain don’t get time to repair and recover.
Most people recognize that stress has to do with the stress hormone cortisol. If you have too much cortisol running around in your body, it will erode your body and your brain. For example, to cope with toxic stress some of us turn to eating for comfort. This can lead to stress-induced obesity and other health problems down the road.
High cortisol levels can also impact the immune system and our ability to fight disease. When you have high cortisol levels, you have a less vibrant immune system in general. You’re less able to get rid of an abnormal dividing cell that can lead to cancer, for example.
Q: How can exercise help alleviate symptoms of depression?
A: Exercise elevates our endorphins and regulates the neurotransmitters that are commonly targeted by anti-depressants. We know that exercise immediately elevates norepinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter, which wakes up the brain, gets it going, and improves self-esteem.
Exercise also increases a protein inside nerve cells called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This substance acts as a fertilizer to keep our brain cells growing and functioning. It’s vital for neuroplasticity, which is the ability to form and reorganize new neural connections, and neurogenesis, which is the growth of new brain cells.
When we’re depressed, we’re in high stress and we have less BDNF circulating in the brain to regulate our mood. With exercise, our BDNF levels increase, lowering anxiety, reducing stress and improving mood. Taking anti-depressants influences specific neurotransmitters, but exercise adjusts the entire chemistry of the brain to restore normal signalling.
Exercise has the power to free up our prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain involved in complex behaviors and personality development so that we focus on more positive things and break out of negative patterns of depression.
Q: Does the type of exercise we do matter?
A: The most important thing is to find a type of exercise that you enjoy and can fit into your regular everyday routine. To reap the benefits of aerobic exercise, ensure you elevate your heart rate. It’s also important to incorporate strength-training exercises into your workout routine at least twice a week to protect your bones against osteoporosis.
Get the Book
SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. In it Prof. John Ratey takes us on a fascinating journey through the mind-body connection, and illustrates, using multiple examples and case studies, how exercise is truly our best defense against disease. SPARK is available in paperback and as an audiobook on Amazon.com.
