A study at the University of Cambridge has shown that running regularly may increase brain’s effectiveness.

The study was conducted by Professor Tim Bussey, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Experimental Psychology, in conjunction with the US National Institute on Ageing.

Results showed that aerobic exercise causes the brain to produce thousands of new cells, particularly in areas that deal with memory development and recall. This, in turn, leads to a more effective ability to remember information accurately, a skill which is crucial for the majority of cognitive tasks, particularly learning.

The study gave Bussey and his team an opportunity to use their recently developed behavioural testing methods, in which mice and rats are evaluated on their responses to stimuli presented on a computer screen. This is the same way in which human subjects are tested.

In order to decipher the effect of aerobic exercise on memory function, two groups of mice were placed in front of a computer screen showing two squares. If the mice nudged the left square, they were given a sugar pellet reward. If they nudged the right, they received nothing.

During the same period, one group of mice was given access to a running wheel. The mice were then tested on their memory. Points were awarded every time the left square was nudged, with the squares gradually getting closer together.

The study found that the group that had access to the running wheel were able to distinguish between the two squares at a considerably higher rate than the other group. On examining the brain tissue of the mice after the experiment, it was discovered that the group with access to the running wheel had developed new grey matter.

It is still uncertain why aerobic exercise leads to this result. According to some scientists, it may be result of increased hormone levels that coincide with physical activity.