The children of parents who practiced moderate sports before their arrival in the world have a brain in better cognitive conditions, according to a study by Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) performed on laboratory mice.
As he explains researcher at the Cajal Institute of the CSIC José Luis Trejowho led the study, neuroscientific researchers have long known that the effects of stress are inherited, and not just among rodents. “The children, and even the grandchildren, of those who suffered famines and war they can continue noticing the damages of these traumatic experiences”, he details.
This does not mean that a genetic change has been made in that family, but epigenetic. “Genes are like a book: even if the pages do not change, you may be paying more attention to some pages, or giving more intonation to others”, affirms the researcher. They are conditioning factors of the gene without being part of it.
New neurons in adult individuals
The researcher recalled that, recently, it has been discovered that new neurons continue to be created in adult individuals, and particularly in the area of the brain known as the hippocampus. “That the increase in neurons in this area of the brain It can be inherited is a particularly important fact, because it is the neurons of the hippocampus that are associated with conditions such as depression or anxiety,” explains Trejo.
It is also this area of the brain that is in charge of memorization, with which it has a crucial role in learning and long-lasting memory retention; as well as spatial orientation.
Effect on depression
This neurogenesis or birth of neurons is a direct consequence of exercise, and has an effect on depression. According to studies by the Cajal Institutethe virtues would go beyond the organism itself, improving the quality of life of the descendants.
In order to verify this inherited benefit, it has been necessary to have some mice with a moderate exercise plan and some descendants without physical activity, so that it is clear that their better mental functioning is entirely due to that previous exercise of the parent mouse.
It has been compared to descendants of sedentary mice with those of those who exercised, but an exercise regimen has also been applied to previously sedentary mice, which later became parents again. Also in this case the same benefit was observed for the pups.
for now, the study has focused on parents, detecting that the mice that had a lifestyle that included moderate exercise patterns transmitted this epigenetic improvement to their offspring through spermatozoa. In the future, it is expected that the possible transmission of these epigenetic conditioning factors from the mother to her daughters and sons will also be explored. It is also planned to further study whether the effects extend beyond that first generation and, if so, how strong the benefits are for the grandchildren of active mice.
More exercise does not equal more health
Another conclusion of the study that Trejo has directed is that the benefit of exercise for the body does not rise exponentially. More sport does not mean more health, at least in what refers to the effects of this practice for the brain. “It’s not just that you’re not going to continue improving, it’s going to have negative consequences,” she pointed out.
“Unlike what happens with the heart muscleFor example, that the more exercise you do, the better, until there comes a time when, no matter how much you do, it will not improve, not with the brain: in the brain there is an inflection point in which, if you continue to exercise, you begin to lose the stress effectsbecause cortisol rises in your blood and what you are gaining on one hand you lose on the other,” he explains.
Benefits of sport versus mental stress from excess
According to the description of the Cajal Institute researcher, it is as if the different epigenetic factors “compete with each other.” The benefits of sport would be on one side of the scale, while the mental stress of over-exercising would be on the other. “Our goal should be balance, the halfway point that allows our brain to get the most out of the exercise. Our brain activity will improve and our descendants will thank us,” he concluded.
Thus, is it possible to know what is that optimal point that we should not exceed? According to Trejo, yes it is. Specifically, there are two methods to find out. One is with the blood lactate threshold measurement, which would mark when that inflection point arrives that makes the effects of exercise on the brain negative. At the moment, it is not a viable methodology for most athletes. Another simpler method is to measure -through a professional- your heart rate and mark an intensity curve that should not be exceeded.
Trejo also has some general advice for people who want to be in shape, which is summarized in “don’t look for generic exercise (or diet) plansbut to look for one’s own threshold and regulate physical activity according to this data, also taking into account that it will vary as the person is fitter.” This would also apply to diet.