
How exercise could lead to a better brain - epenn
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-exercise-could-lead-to-a-better-brain.htm
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bo1024
In my own (somewhat humble) opinion, articles like these get the headline and
angle completely wrong. It's backwards.

Animals' _natural state_ , including humans', is lots of exercise. This is the
default; it is what our bodies and brains are adapted to doing.[-]

A result like this demonstrates that a _lack of exercise is harmful._ Failure
to exercise inhibits the brain from functioning properly as it is adapted to
doing.

[-] "Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution." --
Dobzhansky

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ajslater
This occurs with dietary reporting too. Deficiencies in a population are
reported as if alleviating the deficiency is an unnatural enhancement. I'm
glad you mentioned this.

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johnchristopher
Pardon me if I don't grasp the meaning of this sentence. What is the link
between deficiencies in a given population and its reporting and how does it
relate with unnatural enhancement ?

Do you mean deficiencies shouldn't be reported or taken into account because
the solutions (ie: eat better) to these situations are unnatural enhancements
(dietary supplements, daily fixed and predictable food input, etc.) ?

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rollypolly

      A recent study of the brains of elderly mice, for
      instance, found 117 genes that were expressed
      differently in the brains of animals that began a
      program of running, compared with those that
      remained sedentary
    

That's really interesting. I thought exercise just made me healthier now. I
didn't know it actually might be altering my genes.

If this result applies to humans, then my exercising will also benefit my
descendents!

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SamReidHughes
It's affecting gene expression, not genes.

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agentgt
There was a scientific america article (I know not exactly "science") that
showed how gene expression could in fact affect future offspring mainly
through nurture. I believe the study was obese mice parents through gene
expression would lead to obese mice children. However they believe this was
caused through nurture.

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pazimzadeh
Yes, those obese mice are called Agouti mice, and the concept overall is
called epigenetics. The ON/OFF state of genes can be changed through diet,
nurture, and more. For example, if you do not eat very nutritious food you
might not have enough methyl groups to methylate (turn OFF) some of the genes
that are currently ON but should naturally switch.

[http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/obesity-
epigenetics...](http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/obesity-epigenetics-
and-gene-regulation-927) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics>

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tomjen3
Interesting, but it won't matter in the grand scheme of things because people
will not waste the time it takes to exercise daily. If the researchers figured
out how to get the benefits of exercise, which are supposedly awesome, then
maybe it matters.

In fact I don't see why we fund any other exercise related research, or even
most other health research at all until the exercise pill has been approved.
Aside from the cure for cancer that is basically the only problem we have left
worth worrying about.

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spodek
"people will not waste the time it takes to exercise daily"

If you consider it waste you won't do it. As for me, I love the benefits of
exercise and the experience of doing it. I exercise every day, twice a day,
only a few minutes, but burpees, which are intense. What benefits?

\- Discipline in all other areas of life

\- Connecting with others who exercise

\- Stable appetite

\- Focus

\- Easy to fall asleep and wake up

\- A body that doesn't get winded and girls comment on with attraction

\- According to the article my brain develops too

I also know not to waste time talking to people who consider exercise a waste
of time. We have different values.

How I got started: <http://joshuaspodek.com/how-begin-workout-routine>

My exercise: <http://joshuaspodek.com/knew-minute-day-workout> (I do fifteen
every morning and evening, plus I'm starting to do stretches in the morning).

Some benefits: <http://joshuaspodek.com/more-on-burpees>

Folks, don't wait for an "exercise pill." You can enjoy exercise and all the
benefits that come with it.

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Tenoke
You are obviously making up this benefit: "I also know not to waste time
talking to people who consider exercise a waste of time. We have different
values." since you've obviously wasted a significant amount of time writing
this relatively lengthy comment as a response to someone who considers
exercise a waste of time..

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SamReidHughes
Oh wow, you obviously caught an important inconsistency, so the parent poster
must be _wrong wrong wrong_!

Wait, nope.

~~~
Tenoke
Not what I said at all.

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GigabyteCoin
Or is it that people with a better brain like to exercise?

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wanderingstan
The article specifically eliminates this possibility. The mice in the study
had no choice as to what group they would be in, so there was no self-
selection effect.

