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Published Jan 6, 2025

How to Use Exercise to Improve Your Brain’s Health, Longevity & Performance

Andrew Huberman delves into the science behind exercise's transformative effects on brain health, elucidating how neurochemicals like BDNF and osteocalcin enhance cognitive functions, memory, and learning. Highlighting the benefits of HIIT and TUT training, he reveals their role in boosting cerebral blood flow and fostering grit, offering insights into maximizing brain performance and longevity through strategic exercise.
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  • HIIT Benefits

    High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) offers significant cognitive benefits, particularly in enhancing executive function and cognitive flexibility. explains that HIIT increases cerebral blood flow, delivering more fuel and molecules to the brain, which improves cognitive performance during tasks requiring mental agility 1. However, he cautions against overdoing HIIT, as excessive sessions can lead to reduced cerebral blood flow and diminished cognitive performance 2.

    If you overdo it, then you're going to arrive to that bout of learning with reduced cerebral blood flow.

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    Balancing HIIT with cognitive tasks is crucial for maximizing brain health benefits.

       

    TUT Training

    Time Under Tension (TUT) training is a powerful method for enhancing both muscle and brain health. highlights that TUT engages motor neurons, promoting the release of molecules that support brain function in the long term 3. Eccentric training, a form of TUT, not only improves physical coordination but also boosts the release of osteocalcin and BDNF, which are crucial for brain health 4.

    That loading of the skeleton through eccentric movement and controlling the descent is super important not just for your body, but also to get that release of osteocalcin.

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    Incorporating TUT into workouts can significantly enhance cognitive performance.

       

    Compound Exercises

    Compound exercises, involving multiple joints, are essential for boosting neuromuscular and cognitive health. emphasizes that these exercises stimulate the release of neurochemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine, enhancing focus and brain function 5. The movement of core muscles during compound exercises activates adrenaline release, increasing arousal and alertness 6.

    The movement of your body is creating specific neurochemical outcomes, both in the body and the brain, that create the arousal.

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    Incorporating compound exercises into a routine can lead to significant cognitive improvements.

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