Muscle Mass and Cognitive Function Insights

Sep 27, 2024

Notes on Dr. Tommy Wood's Lecture on Muscle Mass and Cognitive Function

Introduction

  • Speaker: Dr. Tommy Wood, neuroscientist
  • Main Topic: Relationship between muscle mass and cognitive function
  • Background: Dr. Wood, an avid weightlifter, explores whether having more muscle is associated with higher intelligence.

Key Points

Muscle Mass and Brain Volume

  • Brain Volume: How much brain you have in your skull relative to skull size is important, especially as you age.
  • Muscle Mass:
    • Good predictor of brain volume.
    • Better than fat mass and BMI in predicting brain volume.
    • Associated with better cognitive function in some studies.

Cognitive Function and Muscle Mass

  • Studies: Indicate those with more muscle mass have better cognitive function.
  • UK Biobank: Cohorts suggest better maintenance of cognitive function over time with higher muscle mass.

Creatine and Cognition

  • Creatine Gummies: Mentioned as a product to help preserve muscle mass.

Functional Muscles

  • Importance of Functionality: Not just the size but the strength and functionality of muscles relates to cognitive function.

Recent Research

  • Study by Louisa Nicola: Resistance training protects brain regions at risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
  • Randomized Controlled Trials: Used to assess resistance training's impact on brain structure and function.

Areas of Research Focus

  • At-risk Brain Regions: Focus on regions susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease.
  • White Matter: Myelinated axon sheaths for fast neuron communication.
  • Gray Matter: Cortex and other deeper parts of the brain.

Resistance Training and Brain Health

  • Impact of Training: Improves structure in white matter tracts in older adults.
  • Cognitive Improvements: Linked to resistance training programs.

Metabolic Benefits

  • Myokines: Released during muscle work, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
  • Blood Sugar Regulation: Muscle tissue as a glucose sink; better regulation linked to improved cognitive function.

Neuromuscular Benefits

  • Learning Skills: Learning weightlifting skills stimulates the brain.

Intracranial Pressure and Brain Health

  • Safety of Straining: Generally safe unless there's an existing aneurysm.
  • Neuroprotective Research: Simulated Valsalva maneuvers as potential protection during brain injury.
  • Vascular Function: Importance of blood vessel health for cognitive function.

Exercise and Short-term Cognitive Benefits

  • Anecdotal Evidence: Exercise may improve short-term cognitive function.
  • Intensity and Volume: Important factors for cognitive improvement.

Specific Exercises

  • Aerobic Exercise: Jogging improves cognitive function.
  • High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Short, intense exercises show benefits.

Cognitive Function and Arousal

  • Yerkes-Dodson Curve: Arousal affects performance; optimal arousal yields best cognitive function.

Exercise Protocols

  • Short, Intense Workouts: Beneficial for improving cognitive function without exhausting oneself.
  • Blood Flow Restriction (BFR): High stimulus without high metabolic demand.

Conclusion

  • Dr. Tommy Wood’s Findings: Resistance training beneficial for both brain health and cognitive function.
  • Contact Information: Instagram: @drtommywood, Podcast: Better Brain Fitness Podcast, Substack: Better Brain Fitness.

Dr. Wood’s research provides evidence supporting the idea that resistance training not only aids in muscle growth but also in maintaining and potentially improving cognitive function.

Gemini 1.5 Pro Exp

Analysis of the Conversation about Resistance Training and Cognitive Function

Participants:

  • Dr. Tommy Wood: Neuroscientist and expert in brain health, also a weightlifting enthusiast.
  • Andrew Huberman (implied): Host of the podcast, likely the other voice in the conversation, known for his expertise in neuroscience and fitness.

Main Topics:

  1. Resistance Training and Brain Health:
    • Traditionally, there's been a misconception that muscle strength is inversely related to intelligence.
    • Dr. Wood's research challenges this notion, showing a positive correlation between muscle mass and cognitive function.
    • Key Finding: Muscle mass is a better predictor of brain volume (especially as we age) than fat mass or BMI.
    • Mechanism: The functionality of muscles, not just their size, seems to be crucial for driving cognitive benefits.
    • Studies: Research using randomized control trials, including Dr. Wood's own work, shows that resistance training programs can lead to:
      • Improved structure of white matter tracts in the brain, responsible for fast neuronal communication
      • Significant improvements in cognitive function.
  2. Potential Mechanisms of Action:
    • Myokine Release: Exercise, including resistance training, releases myokines like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), important for brain health.
    • Blood Sugar Regulation: Improved blood sugar regulation from increased muscle mass can prevent cognitive decline.
    • Neuromuscular Stimulation: Learning new weightlifting exercises stimulates the brain through motor coordination and skill acquisition.
  3. Straining and Intracranial Pressure:
    • Huberman inquires about the potential benefits of straining during heavy lifting, similar to the effects of sauna use mentioned by their mutual friend, "Paulie."
    • Dr. Wood's Response: Straining might be beneficial for vascular health in the brain.
      • It could train blood vessels by pressurizing them.
      • Vascular function is crucial for cognitive health, particularly neurovascular coupling (blood flow to active brain regions).
      • The straining effect is being investigated as a potential neuroprotective strategy in traumatic brain injury research.
  4. Short-term Cognitive Benefits:
    • Evidence: There's substantial evidence that exercise can acutely enhance cognitive function.
    • Dose and Intensity: The optimal dose, volume, and intensity are still being researched, but it seems that a certain threshold of intensity and duration is required.
    • Types of Exercise: Studies on aerobic exercise (e.g., jogging), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and resistance training have all demonstrated short-term cognitive improvements.
    • Mechanism: The benefits likely stem from a combination of:
      • Exercise-induced release of various factors (e.g., BDNF, increased blood flow).
      • Increased arousal and its effect on cognitive performance (Yerkes-Dodson Law).
      • Important Note: Exhaustive exercise can temporarily impair cognitive function, suggesting the importance of finding the right balance.
  5. BFR (Blood Flow Restriction) Training:
    • Huberman and Dr. Wood discuss the potential of BFR training for both physical and cognitive enhancement.
    • Benefits:
      • Significant stimulus for muscle growth without a large central nervous system or overall metabolic load.
      • May reach a point of "failure" or heightened arousal faster, leading to cognitive benefits.
    • Mechanism: The pain/discomfort associated with BFR may contribute to a heightened state of arousal, which in turn can improve cognitive performance.
    • Anecdotal Evidence: Both Huberman and Dr. Wood share their personal experiences using BFR before demanding cognitive tasks (filming, public speaking) with positive results.

Other Notable Points:

  • Dr. Wood mentions working with Formula 1 drivers, highlighting the importance of cognitive function in high-performance contexts.
  • He emphasizes the significance of endothelial function (health of blood vessel lining) for brain health and the potential role of exercise in improving it.
  • The conversation reveals the dynamic interplay between physical activity, arousal, and cognitive function, with an emphasis on finding the right "dose" for optimal benefits.

Where to Find Dr. Tommy Wood:

  • Instagram: @DrTommyWood
  • Podcast: The Best Brain Fitness Podcast (with Dr. Josh Turk)
  • Substack: Better Brain.Fitness