To learn how omega-3 affects brain function, I’ve been doing a letter-counting test several times per day. I’ve posted some results. Several times after exercise (treadmill and street walking) my reaction times were faster than expected — meaning my brain was working better than expected.
Does exercise improve brain function? In a chapter on self-experimentation that he and I wrote, Allen Neuringer described several experiments in which other measures of brain function improved after exercise. I wanted to learn more about this for two reasons: 1. Reduce “noise”. If I know how much exercise is needed to get the effect, I can be careful to stay below level that while doing omega-3 experiments. 2. Practical value. You might call it nature’s caffeine.
So I did a little experiment. I walked on a flat treadmill for 30 minutes and did the letter-counting test several times. Here are the results:
The line shows the middle of the exercise; the exercise ended a few minutes before the first post-exercise test. To my surprise, the first post-exercise test showed no effect. I was wrong, I thought. But to my further and greater surprise later tests showed an effect in the predicted direction.
Between the first post-exercise test and the second, I took a shower. I will need to see if showers have an effect. If not, then apparently exercise has a delayed effect. No one has ever proposed this, I’m pretty sure.
Most of my self-experimentation has studied elements of ancient life. Omega-3, for example — I believe our ancestors ate lots of seafood (the Aquatic Ape Theory). They surely walked a lot.
Hi. I would try running. I think it is aerobic exercise like running which improves mood and cognition (with time). Maybe walking is not strong enough.
A couple of anecdotal suggestions:
With me, I definitely feel sharper after exercise, but also not immediately after. I may feel duller for a couple of hours, but much more alert and “on top of it” about six hours later. This happens both on days where I do my ‘sprint’ training (absolute max. effort for 30 seconds alternated with 3 minutes fast walking, repeated several times) or my resistance exercise (very heavy weights, slow cadence, one set to failure.)
Second, I agree with Willy that walking will give you little effect…it’s not really exercise.
Finally, the NY Times recently ran an article on recent research that exercise increases the formation of new brain cells, even in the elderly:
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/sports/playmagazine/0819play-brain.html
another interesting study:
https://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/full/25/38/8680
Seth, as I think I mentioned before, you might want at some point to try “intervals” of cold shower bursts. Athletes use contrast bathing to speed recovery, and I’m confident it has an effect on cognitive function. Three intervals of 30 seconds each of warm vs cold was the recommendation of the physios at Bath University Sports Training Village, who look after some of our leading international competitors, including the England Rugby team, some of whom reportedly go in for more extreme exposure to cold.
I’ve been doing this consistently and almost daily since June/July and am satisfied of the benefits. I believe mood, cognition and dealing with stress have all been better as a result. There was one week when I could not cold shower and did not always feel so fresh.
Some research has been done on the effects of cold on mental function and is mentioned here:-
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/4172097.stm
Of course, Seneca got there before us all on this one.
I was a runner when I was younger and am now a big brisk walker; I’ve never gotten the same “high” from walking that I once got from running.
A comment on showers: it is clear to me that taking hot showers, probably by increasing blood flow to the brain, causes more mental activity — I will have flurry of thought, association, memory in my consciousness when I take showers. Descartes liked to think with his head near stove; he claimed it activated brain activity. Anyway, showers may be a confound worth considering. My guess is that people tend to sing in the shower because the brain is activated there.
art de vany would probably say that your brain would work better after a short intense burst of activity, i.e., sprinting.
How interesting knackeredhack, too bad I hate cold showers.
Maybe hot increase circulation and cold increases norepinephrine and stimulates you.