"Just One Session Is Enough"... Physical Exercise Promotes Human Memory Formation

U.S. Research Team Studies Physical Exercise and Brain Neural Activity

Epilepsy Patients Show Increased "Hippocampal Ripple" Frequency After Exercise

Neural Rhythms That Stabilize Memory Over the Long Term

A study has revealed that even a single session of physical exercise can promote human memory formation.

A study has found that even a single session of physical exercise can promote human memory formation. A patient with epilepsy participating in the experiment is seen riding a stationary bicycle. Photo by University of Iowa research team

According to Yonhap News, on March 10 (local time), a research team led by Professor Michelle Voss at the University of Iowa announced in the scientific journal "Brain Communications" that they had measured the brain neural activity of epilepsy patients before and after exercise, and reported the results of their study on the relationship between physical exercise and neural activity in brain networks.

The research team recruited 14 epilepsy patients aged 17 to 50 at the University of Iowa Healthcare Medical Center and had them ride a stationary bicycle for 20 minutes. They recorded brain activity before and after cycling using intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG), which measures neural activity through electrodes implanted in the brain.

The experiment found that the occurrence frequency of a neural rhythm called "hippocampal ripple" increased sharply after exercise compared to the resting state before exercise. Hippocampal ripples are known to stabilize memories over the long term in the hippocampus and surrounding areas involved in learning and memory, particularly after exercise.

The research team explained, "Scientists have already recorded hippocampal ripple phenomena related to memory in rats and mice, and have presumed that hippocampal ripples play an important role in human memory as well. However, since recording ripples requires direct implantation of electrodes in the brain, no study had confirmed this relationship in humans prior to this research."

It was also found that these results are not limited only to the epilepsy patients who participated in the study. Professor Voss, who led the research, stated, "The brain activity patterns observed after exercise are very similar to results observed in healthy adults in non-invasive brain imaging studies, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fact that identical results have appeared in such different types of studies is strong evidence that the effect of exercise in increasing brain activity related to memory formation is not specific to epilepsy, but rather reflects a general brain response to exercise."

Professor Voss said, "This study is the first direct evidence showing that even a single session of exercise can induce changes in hippocampal ripples—an established neurophysiological indicator of memory processing. It also demonstrates that just one session of exercise can rapidly alter neural rhythms and brain networks involved in memory and cognitive function." She added, "We plan to further clarify the brain mechanisms between exercise and memory through studies that directly record brain activity while participants take memory tests after exercising in the future."

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