One of brain’s benefits from exercise, birth of new neurons, may not require any movement. Extracellular vesicles circulating in blood after working out were successfully transfused from exercising mice to sedentary mice leading to increase in new cells, 89.4% of these differentiating into neurons.

We may not need to exercise to get the same neuron boost as a workout

One of the brain’s biggest benefits from exercise – the birth of new neurons – may not even require any movement. Instead, the beneficial “packages” circulating in the blood after working out can be successfully transferred to others.

When we exercise, thousands of molecules are released into the bloodstream – including extracellular vesicles (EVs), microscopic packages filled with proteins, RNA, fats and other signaling molecules. These are also small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier to trigger neurogenesis – the growth of neurons – in the hippocampus. But a key question remained: would these exercise-stimulated vesicles still work if you delivered them to someone who hadn’t exercised at all?

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have now answered that, demonstrating that these extracellular vesicles (EVs) can be taken from one body to another without losing their power.

Adult male mice were given constant access to running wheels for four weeks, while another group was kept sedentary with their wheels locked in place. At the end of the four weeks, the team collected blood from both groups and isolated EVs, which were separated into two samples, exercise-derived EVs (ExerVs) and sedentary-derived EVs (SedVs).

Another set of sedentary mice were then randomly assigned to receive either the ExerV or SedV preparation or a placebo injection (phosphate-buffered saline). The scientists found that sedentary mice that had received the ExerVs transfusion showed a significant increase in the density of new cells – and 89.4%of these new cells had differentiated into neurons (NeuN).

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899325005669

I think I may have found a trick to get more access to parts you don’t normally use. On accident.. being alone a lot can actually be beneficial lol.

Oh boy! Now we can outsource our fitness… sort of.