Lifting Weights May Help Improve Memory

Weight training exercises can help prevent bone loss. But did you know they could also help prevent memory loss, too?

Recent findings published in the journal Acta Psychologica show that this form of exercise is particularly beneficial for cognitive health.

For the study, researchers had participants look at a series of 90 photos on a computer screen with images that were evenly split between positive photos and negatives ones, as well as neutral pictures. They asked them try and remember the photos while everyone then sat at a leg extension resistance machine.

Half of them extended and contracted each leg at their personal maximum effort 50 times. The control group simply sat in the chair and allowed the machine and the experimenter to move their legs.

Throughout the process, each participant's blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. Every person also contributed saliva samples so the team could detect levels of neurotransmitter markers linked to stress.

After a 48-hour period, the participants returned to the lab to view a series of 180 pictures-the 90 original were mixed in with 90 new photos. The control group recalled about percent of the photos form the first session, while those who exercised recalled about 60 percent.

"Our study indicates that people don't have to dedicate large amounts of time to give their brain a boost," said lead study author Lisa Weinberg, via Georgia Tech graduate student, in a news release.
"Even without doing expensive fMRI scans, our results give us an idea of what areas of the brain might be supporting these exercise-induced memory benefits," said Audrey Duarte, an associate professor in the School of Psychology, in a news release. "The findings are encouraging because they are consistent with rodent literature that pinpoints exactly the parts of the brain that play a role in stress-induced memory benefits caused by exercise."