When it comes to exercise, it has long been thought that it is best to exercise every day. However, new research has highlighted the benefits of exercising on the weekends.
Scientists from the University of California (USA) have previously found that daily exercise improves memory. Now, they want to find out whether busy people who only exercise on weekends reap the same cognitive benefits as those who exercise every day.
Researchers conducted the study on 48 12-week-old mice, housed in either exercise cages or sedentary cages.
Overall findings suggest that spaced exercise enhances long-term memory
Based on the training regimen, the mice were divided into three groups:
The group practiced continuously every day for 14 days.
The interval training group ran only 2 days per week. This training method was defined as exercising on the weekend for 2 days and then resting for 5 days during the week.
And a control group.
Interval exercise provides longer-lasting cognitive benefits
The results were surprising. The researchers observed that both the continuous and interval training groups had improved cognitive function compared to the control group.
Notably, mice on an interval training regimen maintained high memory performance, while mice on continuous training showed a gradual decline in cognitive function, according to research site PsyPost.
Weekend exercise may activate genes that provide longer-term cognitive benefits, researchers say. Compared to mice that exercised continuously, mice that exercised intermittently showed consistently increased levels of the Acvr1c and Bdnf genes involved in long-term memory. Overall, the findings suggest that intermittent exercise enhances long-term memory.
This finding brings good news to busy people: Exercising on weekends can help improve cognitive function, even more effectively than daily exercise!
Training regimen is more important than training volume
The study also emphasized the importance of exercise regimens that benefit brain function rather than the exercise itself.
Interval training has been shown to have long-term cognitive benefits, while exercise volume, measured by average daily running distance, has shown little impact on brain and memory performance, according to PsyPost.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghien-cuu-phat-hien-them-loi-ich-cua-viec-tap-the-duc-2-ngay-cuoi-tuan-185250111162558135.htm
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