Japanese scientists have announced that mood can be improved and brain function accelerated with minimal effort. According to the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from Tsukuba University have discovered that a moderate 10-minute run each day activates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, resulting in improved mood and cognitive functions.
The researchers found that running for ten minutes increases blood flow to various parts of the prefrontal cortex, which plays a crucial role in mood regulation and executive functions, helping us plan what we want to do, focus on tasks, and adapt strategies when situations change.
According to the researchers, the effects of running on brain areas responsible for mood control and executive functions had not been previously studied. Professor Hideaki Soya noted, "It is logical to assume that during running, activation of the neurons in the prefrontal cortex occurs, and other functions in this area of the brain will benefit from that as well."
To verify this hypothesis, the researchers initially used the Stroop test (for example, the word "green" written in red), with 26 healthy volunteers asked to perform a series of tasks while the researchers monitored changes in blood flow in their brains, which is linked to the activity of specific brain areas. For instance, when the word "red" was written in green, participants had to name the color rather than read the word, requiring a specific mental effort. The brain processes both sets of information while simultaneously filtering out what is unnecessary. The time taken to give the correct answer is referred to as the Stroop effect.
The results showed that after a moderate ten-minute run, the researchers noted a reduction in the time needed to provide the correct answer. Moreover, activation of the prefrontal cortex after running was higher in the subsequent Stroop test. Participants in the study reported an improvement in their mood following the run. Given that many advantages of the prefrontal cortex for the brain are characteristic of the human brain, the findings of this study shed light not only on the benefits of running for humans but also suggest the role these advantages may have played in human evolution.
