We often talk about the benefits of different physical exercise on the brain, but here’s a new one that’s being studied: cycling. A recent study from the Netherlands found that people who used an exercise bike for 6 months saw an increased density and connectivity in their brain’s white matter. The finding was seen in both people with schizophrenia and people with no clinical diagnosis.
A second study from Taiwan found that people with diabetes or metabolic syndrome who used a stationary bike for 12 weeks experienced an increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a brain chemical involved in supporting neural plasticity processes by encouraging the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses.
More details on this research can be read in abstracts of the Netherlands study and the Taiwan study.
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