Written by Hannah Segal and Edited by Rasheed Majzoub
A few hours of sleep, energy drinks over piling notes, constant studying and memorizing– all of these signs are on the edge of normalcy for a college student. Often times, rigorous schedules leave students with less time to eat, sleep and exercise to stay healthy. However, recent research relates that investing in health-conscious activities such as exercise may actually increase productivity and save time by enhancing memory formation [1]. Through simple measures such as integrating exercise into study sessions, students can make the most of their limited time.
Physical activity promotes the release of neuromodulatory factors that improve memory retention by supporting the development and differentiation of neurons. These factors include dopamine, noradrenaline, and brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) [2]. Neuromodulatory factors are molecules that stimulate nerve activity by targeting the delivery of a stimulus, which can be a chemical agent or electrical stimulation [3]. A recent study showed how physical exercise performed four hours after learning increased the amount of neuromodulatory factors released in the hippocampus, the brain structure embedded deep in the temporal lobes that regulates memory, learning, and motivation. This increase in the release was then directly correlated to an enhanced ability to retain memory [1]. The study, therefore, suggests that students can become more efficient studiers by performing physical activity after learning and retaining information.
Memory can be broken down into three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval [4]. In the encoding stage, information is received and processed as chemical and physical stimuli our bodies can sense and understand. Next, the encoded information is properly recorded in the storage stage of memory. Lastly, in the retrieval stage, the stored information is retrieved to respond to a stimulus or a cue. The aforementioned study focused on the retrieval stage of memory by having participants, aged 18-30, study information at two timed intervals. After 2 hours of rest, the participants were asked to perform 35-minute intervals of a certain type of aerobic exercise, which is an exercise that promotes oxygen circulation through the blood, such as running, swimming, and cycling [5]. The purpose of performing physical activity post-study was to see how well the participants remembered the information. Out of the three study groups; no-exercise, immediate exercise, and delayed exercise, those that performed delayed exercise four-hours after retaining information displayed the highest level of memory retention [2].
Despite the time constraints that many college students may face due to the rigour of their studies, it is essential for students to maintain balanced and health-conscious lifestyles. By integrating physical activity into long periods of study, students can benefit both their health and memory retention.
Future research should further investigate to what degree sleep and time contribute to the memory enhancement of acute aerobic exercise. Moreover, these future studies should include specific experimental manipulations to gain more insight into the molecular mechanisms of exercise-related memory improvement. A general example of such a study is one that measures how much BDNF is released during aerobic exercise between the peripheral or central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system includes all the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord, whereas, the central nervous system includes the brain and the spinal cord [6]. There are many opportunities and areas of research within the field of sleep and memory that have the potential to profoundly change the way students study and live in the future.
References:
- Anand, K., Dhikav, V. (2012). Hippocampus in health and disease: An overview. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology. 15: 239-46.
- Van Dongen, E., Kersten, I., Wagner, I., Morris, R., Fernández, G. (2016). Physical Exercise Performed Four Hours after Learning Improves Memory Retention and Increases Hippocampal Pattern Similarity during Retrieval. Current Biology, 26: 1722-1727.
- Nadim, F, Bucher, D. (2014). Neuromodulation of neurons and synapses. Current opinion in neurobiology. 29:48-56.
- “Introduction to Memory.” Boundless Psychology, Lumen, 2017,
courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/introduction-to-memory/. - Shiel, William C. “Definition of Aerobic Exercise.” MedicineNet, 2018,
www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10182. - Hopkins, M., Bucci, D. (2010). BDNF expression in perirhinal cortex is associated with exercise-induced improvement in object recognition memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 94: 278-284.
- Johnson, E., Tuszynski, M. (2008). 4 – Neurotrophic Factors. CNS Regeneration, 2: 95-144.
- Cherry, Kendra. “How the Peripheral Nervous System Works.”
Verywell Mind, Dotdash, 6 Dec. 2019,
www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-peripheral-nervous-system-2795465.