In a blog from the the New York Times (Reynolds, 2011) research reviewed suggested one of the possible benefits from aerobic exercise was improved brain strength. The blog noted a study by Dr. J. Mark Davis at the University of South Carolina that found mice that exercised aerobically for 30 minutes a day for eight weeks had an upwelling of mitochondrial development in their brains in comparison to mice that did not exercise. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells.
“Of course, this experiment was conducted with animals, and ‘mouse brains are not human brains,’ Dr. Davis says, ‘But … since mitochondrial biogenesis has been shown to occur in human muscles, just as it does in animal muscles, it a reasonable supposition that it occurs in human brains'” (Reynolds, p. 2).
Further, Dr. Davis stated that revitalized brain cells potentially could reduce mental fatigue and sharpen your thinking even when you are not exercising. He pointed out other studies have shown long term runners have a lower risk of neurological disease, and mitochondrial deficits in human brains may play a role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Dr. Davis concluded that a 30 minute jog a day is probably a good human equivalent of the workout the mice completed. So, theoretically aerobic exercise not only strengthens our aerobic system and muscles, but also our brains.
In addition to the above Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist, has an excellent Youtube video on the effects of exercise on our brains. How Exercise Rewires Your Brain for Better Mental Wellbeing