Recent insights from a fascinating conversation between Professor Dong Se-hee from Seoul National University's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Dr. Jang Dong-seon have revealed compelling information about how exercise, particularly running, affects brain health. Drawing from Professor Dong's 20 years of brain research experience and having completed over 30 marathons, let's explore the relationship between exercise and brain health that many of us never knew existed.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness: The Most Powerful Predictor of Survival
When predicting disease mortality or post-surgical recovery, we typically consider factors like age, gender, and existing medical conditions. But surprisingly, there's an even more important indicator: cardiorespiratory fitness.
Professor Dong emphasizes that "whether someone has cancer or not is less important than whether their cardiorespiratory fitness is high or low - this is a more powerful predictor of mortality rates and disease-specific death rates." Some experts even argue that cardiorespiratory fitness should be included as a vital sign.
This isn't simply about athletic ability. Cardiorespiratory fitness serves as a comprehensive indicator of overall health, including the heart, lungs, and entire body system. High cardiorespiratory fitness, measured by maximum oxygen uptake, means your body can efficiently deliver oxygen and nutrients to every corner of your system.
Humans Were Born to Run
Fascinatingly, the human body was originally optimized for running. Throughout 6.6 million years of human history, our ancestors lived as hunter-gatherers, routinely running 9-15 kilometers daily.
The human body contains special structures designed for running:
-Well-developed gluteal muscles: While walking primarily uses calf muscles, running relies on glute muscles for propulsion
-High proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers: We have far more endurance-friendly muscle fibers than other animals
-Efficient thermoregulation: A sweating system optimized for long-distance running
Professor Dong explains, "Our bodies are made for running, designed to run, but we've forgotten how to run. It's like having gills but living on land without using them."
The Brain is a Bundle of Blood Vessels: The Importance of NVU
To understand why exercise is crucial for brain health, we need to understand brain structure. The brain isn't just a collection of nerve cells - it's also a "bundle of blood vessels." Neurons require continuous nutrition and energy supply to function properly.
For this purpose, nerves and blood vessels form a tight alliance called theNVU (Neurovascular Unit). When neurons become active, blood vessels dilate to supply more blood flow, and when neurons quiet down, vessels return to their normal state.
Problems arise when the NVU isn't healthy. When blood flow isn't smooth, nerve cells suffer from nutritional deficiency and can't maintain homeostasis, exposing them to various dangers. This causes not only cerebrovascular diseases but also depression, ADHD, and various neuropsychiatric conditions.
How to Improve Maximum Oxygen Uptake
Maximum oxygen uptake is partly genetic. Factors like gender, muscle mass, and heart size all play a role. However, it can definitely be improved through individual effort.
The most effective methods include:
1. Consistent Aerobic Exercise
This is the foundation of everything.
2. Hill Training (Uphill Running)
Running uphill dramatically increases energy demands, placing greater stress on the heart and lungs.
3. Gradual Intensity Increases
Slowly increasing exercise intensity allows your body to adapt progressively.
Professor Dong advises, "Running more is most important, and hill training is particularly effective." Uphill running requires much more oxygen than flat terrain, making it excellent for improving cardiopulmonary function.
Some Exercises Can Be Dangerous for the Brain
Not all exercise is good for the brain. From a brain specialist's perspective, there are certain activities that aren't recommended.
Risky activities include:
- Boxing (including sparring)
- Rugby, American football
- Ice hockey
- Taekwondo (sparring)
- Soccer, basketball (due to heading and collision risks)
What these share in common is being contact sports - activities where repeated impacts to the head or face area can occur.
The concern is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Rather than one major impact, this condition develops from small, repeated impacts that gradually accumulate and damage the brain. Muhammad Ali's Parkinson's disease is believed to be related to this condition.
However, it's important not to misunderstand. Boxing itself isn't bad - it's thecontact elementthat's problematic. In fact, Parkinson's patients show symptom improvement through boxing training that excludes sparring.
Why Brain Researchers Run
There's a clear reason why running is popular among brain researchers. Countless studies demonstrate the close relationship between aerobic exercise and brain health.
Research continues to prove that lifelong aerobic exercise habits play a crucial role in preventing and treating major brain diseases like dementia, Parkinson's disease, and stroke.
Interestingly, studies show that physical movement is far more effective for brain health than traditional brain training methods recommended for seniors (like playing cards, math problems, puzzles, or reading).
The Special Effects of Race Participation
Professor Dong also mentioned the special effects of participating in marathon races. There's a phenomenon called "race high" where runners can achieve much faster times than usual.
This isn't simply due to excitement:
- Competitive psychology with other runners
- Crowd support and cheering
- Motivation from the special environment
- Psychological effects that make the same pace feel less difficult
These phenomena show that exercise isn't just physical activity - it's also mental and social activity.
## Conclusion
As modern medicine advances, we're searching for complex ways to maintain health, but are we missing the most basic and effective method?
The problems that arose when humans, who ran for 6.6 million years, suddenly began living sedentary lives in just a few decades might have a surprisingly simple solution: start running again.
The fact that cardiorespiratory fitness is the most powerful predictor of survival, the paradox that we need to use our bodies rather than our heads for brain health, and the evolutionary perspective that humans were originally running beings - all of these converge into one message.
If you want a healthy brain, get up from your desk and go outside. Start running. Let's awaken the instinct our bodies remember. Just be careful not to impact your head while doing it.
*Source: Reconstructed based on content from Jang Dong-seon's "The Curious Brain" interview with Professor Dong Se-hee*.
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