The Exercise Neuroscientist: NEW RESEARCH, The Shocking Link Between Exercise And Dementia!

In this insightful dialogue, neuroscientist and professor Wendy Suzuki discusses the profound impact of lifestyle choices on brain health. Suzuki highlights the transformative power of exercise, particularly aerobic activity, in enhancing cognitive abilities and memory by promoting neurogenesis in the hippocampus. She emphasizes the Mediterranean diet's benefits and warns against the detrimental effects of sedentary behavior, insufficient sleep, and excessive screen time on brain function. Suzuki also explores the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality, acknowledging the limitations of scientific methods in explaining all aspects of human experience. Additionally, she stresses the significance of social connections and community in fostering happiness and brain health, underscoring that compassion is humanity's best quality. The conversation also covers the neuroscience behind emotions like love, anxiety, and grief, suggesting that these feelings provide valuable insights into our deepest values and can catalyze personal growth.

• A preserved human brain named Betty is presented as a prop to engage the podcast audience.
• The conversation intends to explore tools and tricks for maintaining a healthy brain.

"And now we're going to go through all the tools and tricks to make your brain as healthy as it can be. Are you ready?"

• The quote sets the stage for discussing various strategies for brain health.

• Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist and professor at New York University.
• Her research focuses on improving memory, learning, and higher cognitive abilities.

"Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist and professor at New York University whose first hand research."

• The quote introduces Wendy Suzuki and her work in neuroscience.

• Research shows that exercise leads to changes in the brain.
• Every drop of sweat contributes to brain health.
• The best types of exercise for the brain are not specified in the conversation.

"All the research shows the more you exercise, the more change in your brain. We notice every drop of sweat counted."

• This quote emphasizes the direct correlation between exercise and brain health.

• The Mediterranean diet is recommended for brain health.
• Coffee consumption and memory are briefly mentioned but not elaborated on.

"If it's on the Mediterranean diet, go ahead."

• The quote suggests the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for the brain.

• There are four things one can do to improve memory retention.
• Specific strategies are not detailed in the conversation.

"But there's four things that you can do to make memories stick."

• This quote implies there are actionable steps to enhance memory, though they are not listed.

• Loneliness and a lack of friends can lead to brain shrinkage.
• Social interaction is important for brain health.

"Yes. Loneliness damages the brain."

• The quote directly links loneliness with negative impacts on the brain.

• Being in love activates the brain's reward areas.
• There is a question about whether a lack of love can cause the "love part" of the brain to shrink, making it harder to love in the future.
• The concept of love affecting brain size or function is not conclusively addressed.

"Yes. In the side here, a lot of the reward areas are activated."

• This quote highlights the brain's response to the experience of love.

• Wendy Suzuki has personal brain routines that she practices every morning.
• Specific routines are not described due to an interruption in the conversation.

"Absolutely. So every morning I like to."

• The quote indicates the existence of beneficial morning routines for the brain, though details are cut off.

• An advertisement for "The Diary of a CEO Subscriber Raffle" is presented.
• The promotion offers prizes to subscribers of the podcast.
• Details of the raffle are not relevant to the study notes and are excluded.

• A "big, fat, fluffy brain" is equated with a healthy brain.
• Wendy Suzuki's book "Healthy Brain, Happy Life" discusses using neuroscience and psychology to improve brain function.
• A healthy brain is linked to a happier life and better overall functioning.

"It matters because a big, fat, fluffy brain is a healthy brain."

• This quote connects brain size and health with overall well-being.

• Many people ignore or do not fully appreciate their brain and its capabilities.
• The human brain is the most complex structure known, and understanding its complexity can lead to self-appreciation.

"No, I think they ignore it all the time."

• The quote suggests a general lack of awareness or appreciation for the brain's importance.

• There is a cultural tendency to focus on physical body parts like muscles and abs rather than brain health.
• The goal is to shift focus to what the brain does for us and how to enhance its health.

"And part of my goal is to kind of shift the focus from focusing on certain body parts to focusing on what our brain is doing for us."

• The quote expresses the desire to redirect attention from physical appearance to brain function.

• The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are two brain areas that benefit from meditation and exercise.
• The hippocampus is critical for long-term memory and the prefrontal cortex for attention and decision-making.
• Improving these brain areas can enhance job performance and cognitive abilities.

"Those two brain areas are the hippocampus, critical for long-term memory, your ability to form and retain new long-term memories for facts and events. And the second brain area is your prefrontal cortex, right behind your forehead, critical for your ability to shift and focus attention."

• This quote identifies two brain areas that are particularly responsive to positive lifestyle changes.

• Wendy Suzuki had a personal epiphany about the brain during a river rafting trip in Peru.
• Realizing her own physical weakness and experiencing a mood boost from activity led her to focus on exercise's impact on the brain.
• Her father's diagnosis with Alzheimer's dementia further motivated her research into the effects of physical activity on brain function.

"I decided, I'm going to go to the gym, and I'm going to continue this physical activity at the gym. And somehow it stuck."

• The quote recounts the beginning of Wendy Suzuki's personal journey towards understanding the relationship between physical activity and brain health.

• The concept of brain plasticity, the brain's ability to change shape, was once not considered a fact.
• Marian Diamond's research with rats in enriched environments demonstrated that the adult brain can indeed change.
• Physical activity and learning can lead to structural and functional changes in the brain.

"But she found that the brains of those rats raised in the Disney world of rat cages, the outer covering of the brain, the cortex, it was actually thicker."

• This quote discusses a landmark study by Marian Diamond that provided evidence for brain plasticity.

• A study of London taxi drivers showed that learning the complex street layout of London led to an increase in the size of the hippocampus.
• This is another example of how learning can change the brain's structure.

"The posterior part of their hippocampus, which is the part we know is important for posterior, towards the back of the head. The posterior part of the hippocampus, which is kind of a cigar-shaped structure that goes from the front part of the brain to the back part of the brain. That back part of the brain was significantly bigger in those London successful London taxicab drivers compared to the failed London taxicab drivers."

• The quote describes the specific findings of the study on London taxi drivers, reinforcing the concept of brain plasticity through learning.

• Physical activity has been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing dementia in older adults.
• Regular physical activity throughout life can help delay the onset of dementia.
• Exercise releases neurochemicals and growth factors that support brain health, including the growth of new cells in the hippocampus.

"The longer you stay active, the bigger and fatter and fluffier your brain will be."

• This quote emphasizes the long-term benefits of sustained physical activity on brain health.

• Exercise can increase the size and health of the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory and learning.
• Physical activity can also enhance the prefrontal cortex, not by creating new neurons but by fostering new synapses.
• The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex can be damaged by age and neurodegenerative diseases, but exercise can slow this process.
• A large, healthy hippocampus can delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms.

"But if you start with a huge, fluffy hippocampus, it's going to take that disease that much longer to actually damage enough of your hippocampus so that you start seeing those telltale signs of memory impairment that comes with Alzheimer's disease and dementia in general."

• This quote explains that a well-maintained hippocampus can resist the detrimental effects of neurodegenerative diseases for a longer period.

• The exact causes of dementia and Alzheimer's are still unknown.
• There are no effective drugs currently available to treat these conditions.
• Lifestyle choices have been linked to the risk of developing these diseases.
• Walking is a highly recommended form of exercise to protect the brain from aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

"Nope. And there's not good drugs, unfortunately."

• The speaker acknowledges the lack of understanding and effective medication for Alzheimer's and dementia.

• Regular physical activity can significantly improve the function of the prefrontal cortex.
• The prefrontal cortex is involved in decision-making and attention.
• Physical activity enhances brain plasticity, particularly in focusing and shifting attention.
• Sedentary individuals may have poorer decision-making abilities compared to their active counterparts.

"Yes. I mean, there is that potential brain plasticity, and the neuroscience of brain plasticity tells us that, absolutely, with physical activity, you have great potential to improve the function of your prefrontal cortex."

• This quote highlights the positive impact of exercise on the prefrontal cortex and overall cognitive abilities.

• Working memory exists in the prefrontal cortex, while long-term memory depends on the hippocampus.
• Individuals have varying memory capabilities, often influenced by both genetics and experiences.
• Memory is multifaceted, with different types being dependent on various brain structures.

"There's a form of memory, working memory, which is kind of scratch pad memory. It's a memory that, when we used to have to remember telephone numbers, that ability to remember a seven digit at least in the United States, telephone number."

• This quote describes working memory and its function, which is separate from long-term memory formation.

• The hippocampus is critical for declarative or cognitive memory, which involves facts and events.
• Motor memory depends on the striatum and is used for activities like playing tennis.
• Prefrontal cortex-based working memory is essential for short-term retention and manipulation of information.

"There's lots of different names for forms of memory in the hippocampus, but I like to describe it as the hippocampus is critical for our memory, for facts and events, also called declarative memory or cognitive memory."

• The speaker clarifies the role of the hippocampus in declarative memory.

• Memory and attention are interconnected, with attention playing a role in making facts or events memorable.
• Four elements make memories more likely to stick: repetition, association, novelty, and emotional resonance.
• These elements are also considered in marketing to engage consumers.

"Absolutely. So I like to say there are four things that make memory stick, and this is after 25 or 30 years studying the hippocampus and how memories work. Number one is obvious. Repetition."

• The speaker outlines the four key factors that contribute to the formation of strong memories.

• The human brain's structure, including its folds, is critical for its computational capacity.
• The brain's color is affected by preservatives like formaldehyde used in preservation.
• Holding a human brain can elicit a profound sense of awe and a deeper appreciation for the complexity of human cognition and experience.

"That defined this person's whole life. How they saw, felt, smelled, heard, and thought about the world. Just right there in your one hand, in your right hand."

• This quote reflects on the significance of the brain in encapsulating an entire human life's experiences.

• Aerobic activity is the most beneficial type of exercise for brain health.
• Increased heart rate during exercise releases growth factors that promote hippocampal health.
• The frequency and intensity of exercise can be tailored to individual fitness levels, with every bit of effort contributing to cognitive improvements.

"The more you exercise, the more change in your brain. We noted both your hippocampal function, prefrontal cortex function, and mood."

• The speaker emphasizes that the benefits of exercise on the brain are dose-dependent, with greater activity leading to more significant changes.

• Exercise has immediate effects on mood, focus, and attention, which can enhance cognitive performance.
• Even a single workout can improve the functioning of the prefrontal cortex due to increased levels of dopamine.
• Regular physical activity can have a positive impact on one's mindset and day-to-day cognitive abilities.

"It's the basis is that immediate. So there's three key effects that we know happen every time you move your body. First one is mood. You're going to get your dopamine, your serotonin up. Second is focus and attention."

• This quote explains the immediate cognitive benefits of exercise, which include mood enhancement and improved focus and attention.

• Exercise improves focus, attention, and reaction time.
• Physical activity enhances motor cortex function, leading to quicker response and reaction times.
• A single workout can significantly shorten reaction time compared to sedentary behavior.

"Your reaction time is significantly shorter after even a single workout compared to if you just don't work out and sit alone."

This quote emphasizes the immediate impact of exercise on reaction time, suggesting that even one workout session can enhance motor function.

• Caffeine is a stimulant with varying effects on individuals.
• Overstimulation from caffeine can impair verbal communication.
• Self-experimentation is recommended to find the optimal caffeine intake for specific tasks.
• Hot, cold contrast showers act as a natural stimulant by inducing adrenaline, which can be an alternative to caffeine.

"Overstimulation with caffeine is not good for your ability to put words together."

This quote discusses the potential negative impact of excessive caffeine intake on verbal fluency.

• Sedentary lifestyle and lack of sleep are harmful to brain function.
• Sleep deprivation can lead to death, demonstrating its critical role in brain health.
• Sleep allows for memory consolidation in the hippocampus and cleanses the brain of metabolic waste.
• Insufficient sleep leads to a buildup of waste products in the brain, affecting cognitive function.

"You cannot function if you are deprived of sleep for too many hours in a row. It's that critical."

The quote stresses the crucial importance of sleep for maintaining basic brain function and overall health.

• The Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on non-processed, colorful foods, is beneficial for brain health.
• Processed foods should be limited in one's diet for optimal brain function.

"The most evidence is around the benefit of the mediterranean diet, which is basically all healthy, kind of organic."

This quote highlights the Mediterranean diet as the most evidence-backed nutritional approach for supporting brain health.

• Social interactions, even casual ones, correlate with increased longevity and brain health.
• Strong social connections are linked to happiness and reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
• Loneliness and long-term stress from a lack of social engagement can damage the brain and lead to shrinkage.

"The more people you are regularly interacting with, the longer you are living."

The quote links the number of social interactions with increased lifespan and suggests a relationship between social engagement and longevity.

• A morning routine can include tea meditation, exercise, and a hot, cold contrast shower to stimulate the brain.
• Such routines are personal and can be adapted to individual needs and preferences.

"Every morning, I like to wake up and I do a tea meditation, which is a meditation over the brewing and drinking of tea."

This quote describes a personal morning ritual that combines meditation with the act of preparing and consuming tea to benefit brain health.

• Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are detrimental to brain health.
• Alcohol disrupts sleep quality, affecting brain function even when consumed in moderation.

"Even moderation now studies have shown, is not very good. And the reason why it's not good is that alcohol disrupts your sleep."

The quote warns about the negative effects of alcohol on sleep quality, which is essential for brain health, even when consumed in moderation.

• Mindfulness and meditation practices strengthen the prefrontal cortex and enhance focused attention.
• Studies show beneficial brain changes in long-term meditators.

"The practice of meditation is basically a practice of enriching the function of your prefrontal cortex."

This quote indicates that meditation directly benefits the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in focus and attention.

• Excessive social media use, especially in young people, correlates with increased depression and anxiety.
• Social media is not equivalent to face-to-face social interactions and can negatively impact brain health.
• The physiological harm from social media includes stress-induced damage to brain cells and connections.

"The increase in use of social media, especially in young kids, correlate with huge increases in depression and anxiety levels, particularly in young girls."

The quote points out the correlation between social media usage and mental health issues, emphasizing its impact on young users.

• Excessive phone use can limit potential for brain growth and joy from real-life experiences.
• Phone addiction may lead to a reduction in social connections and physical activity.

"That is going to limit your potential for brain growth, for brain plasticity."

This quote suggests that phone addiction can hinder the brain's ability to develop and adapt, impacting overall brain health and life satisfaction.

• Anxiety has increased in prevalence, noticed by the author before the pandemic.
• The book "Good Anxiety" explores the rise of anxiety and its effects on people.
• Anxiety is a full-body experience linked with the stress response and sympathetic nervous system activation.

"I wrote a book about anxiety because I started to notice my students getting much more anxious than they ever used to be."

The quote explains the motivation behind writing a book on anxiety, noting the observed increase in anxiety levels among students.

• Today's anxiety levels are influenced by global concerns and the constant influx of information.
• The comparison facilitated by social media contributes to increased anxiety, particularly among young women.
• Anxiety is experienced physiologically across the body and is part of the stress response.

"Your ancestors and mine went through two world wars, and that was anxiety provoking, no question about it. But they weren't also all the other things that were contributing to it."

The quote contrasts the sources of anxiety experienced by previous generations with the modern-day triggers that contribute to heightened anxiety levels.

• The body's stress response is activated by various threats, not distinguishing between a physical threat (like a lion) and a psychological one (like a nasty DM).
• This response can result in anxiety, which is an evolutionary mechanism designed originally to protect us from physical harm.
• The stress and threat system is not adept at differentiating between physical danger and emotional threats.

"Unfortunately, our body's doing the same exact thing. When the nasty DM comes in from somebody, I wasn't sure who it is, but they're saying something really bad about something I care about a lot. And we get this stress response, we get anxious because of that."

• This quote explains that the body reacts similarly to physical and emotional threats, triggering stress and anxiety.

• Techniques to manage anxiety include exercise and breath meditation.
• Exercise, even mild like walking, can significantly decrease anxiety and depression levels.
• Breath meditation leverages the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body, slowing heart rate and respiration.
• Deep breathing is a simple and immediate method to activate the parasympathetic response.

"The best and most effective way that you could activate that right now is take three deep breaths, because that's the only thing you have conscious control over that can launch all the rest of that parasympathetic activity, slowing your heart rate."

• This quote highlights deep breathing as a practical method to initiate the body's natural calming mechanisms.

• Anxiety and sadness are seen as negative emotions but have intrinsic value.
• Anxiety serves as a warning system, directing attention to potential issues.
• Understanding what causes anxiety can reveal what an individual values most.
• The book "Good Anxiety" argues that difficult emotions can be beneficial.

"It's valuable because when you know what you are worried about your fears that your anxiety focuses you on, it actually tells you about what you hold most dear in your life."

• This quote discusses how anxiety can help individuals identify what is most important to them.

• Romantic love activates reward and social interaction areas in the brain.
• Long-term relationships evolve from romantic love to patterns similar to parental love.
• The insula is a brain area activated during deep romantic love.

"And there are lots of reward areas that get activated when you're scanning the brain of somebody that is in the throes of deep romantic love."

• This quote describes the brain activity associated with the experience of romantic love.

• The concept of "use it or lose it" applies to brain function.
• It is essential to engage in loving relationships to maintain the associated brain areas.
• Different types of love, such as friendship and parental love, engage similar brain mechanisms.

"Absolutely. If you don't use that part of the brain, you will not gain the function."

• This quote emphasizes the importance of engaging brain regions through experience to maintain their function.

• Grief can be an overwhelming emotion with waves of intensity.
• The depth of grief corresponds to the depth of love for the lost individual.
• Grief can offer wisdom and insight, leading to a greater appreciation of life.
• The author used personal grief to explore the positive aspects of difficult emotions in her book.

"The only reason why I was feeling that unfathomable grief is because of the deep love that I had that it started with."

• This quote links the intensity of grief to the strength of love, suggesting a profound relationship between the two.

• Experiencing loss can increase empathy and compassion for others.
• Personal tragedies can lead to a deeper understanding of emotions and an appreciation for the positive moments in life.

"You realize that everybody's going to feel these emotions sometime in their life, and I can bring more empathy and compassion to those experiences for others."

• This quote reflects on how personal loss can enhance one's ability to empathize with others' experiences.

• The relationship between spirituality and neuroscience is complex.
• Some scientists, including the speaker, believe in aspects of spirituality that may not be provable by scientific methods.
• Spirituality can offer comfort and meaning beyond what is explainable by neuroscience.

"What if there are things beyond proving in the scientific method, and I think there are things that in the spiritual realm, in the religious realm, that absolutely could be true, could be true, could be true that cannot be solved, cannot be proven with the classic scientific method."

• This quote discusses the possibility that some truths may exist outside the scope of scientific proof, particularly in the realms of spirituality and religion.

• Community provides a sense of connection and joy, which is essential for well-being.
• Creating events that bring people together can have an immediate positive impact.

"Because I think it is a balm to students and to everybody. And I think those events that we can create that bring people together and talking to each other and learning about each other are joyous events."

• This quote emphasizes the healing power of community and the importance of fostering connections among individuals.

• Maintaining brain health is crucial for a happy life.
• Social connections and friendships are vital for brain health and happiness.
• The speaker motivates others to focus on their brain health to maximize their quality of life.

"You only have one, and we have an opportunity every single day to make it as healthy as it could be."

• This quote underscores the importance of daily actions to promote brain health and well-being.

• Compassion involves feeling and understanding the experiences of others, both positive and negative.
• The speaker believes compassion is top of mind due to its connection with community and empathy.

"Compassion means feeling. Feeling for the experience of others, both good and bad."

• This quote defines compassion as the ability to empathetically share in the experiences of others.