It’s no secret that a strenuous workout is great for your waistline, but can it also improve your memory?
In a study published in Physiology & Behavior, sedentary young males took memory tests after a bout of intensive cycling or inactivity. Subjects who exercised performed significantly better on the memory test. In blood tests, researchers found that a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increased notably after activity—suggesting that exercise-spurred BDNF helps improve memory.
