Mind over matter, the brain alone can tone muscle
Mind over matter, the brain alone can tone muscle
"What our study suggests is that imagery exercises
could be a valuable tool to prevent or slow muscles from becoming weaker,"
said Brian Clark.
By Brooks Hays Dec. 24, 2014 at 10:14 AM
ATHENS, Ohio, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- New research suggests
muscles respond to simple thoughts of exercise; simply imagining exercise can
trick the muscles into delaying atrophy and even getting stronger. It's further
proof that brain and body, which evolved together, are more intwined than
separate.
To demonstrate the power of the brain, researchers at
Ohio University wrapped a single wrist of two sets of study participants in a
cast -- immobilizing their muscles for four weeks. One set was instructed to
sit still and intensely imagine exercising for 11 minutes, five days a week.
More than just casually daydream about going to the gym, participants were
instructed to devote all of their mental energy towards imagining flexing their
arm muscles.
The other set of study participants weren't given any
specific instructions. At the end of the four weeks, the mental-exercisers were
two times stronger than the others.
Researchers also used magnetic imaging to isolate the
area of the brain responsible for the specific arm muscles. Participants that
imagine exercise not only had stronger arms but also a stronger brain; their
mental exercises created stronger neuromuscular pathways
"What our study suggests is that imagery exercises
could be a valuable tool to prevent or slow muscles from becoming weaker when a
health problem limits or restricts a person's mobility," study author
Brian Clark, a professor of physiology and neuroscience at Ohio University
Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, said in a press release.
"The most impactful finding, however, is not the
direct clinical application but the support that this work provides for us to
better understand the critical importance of the brain in regulating muscle
strength," Clark added. "This information may fundamentally change
how we think about muscle weakness in the elderly."
Previous studies have shown that mental exercise can
actually make muscles stronger (as opposed to simply preventing or slowing
atrophy), and that thinking about exercise activates the same areas of the
brain as real exercise.
Of course, researchers aren't suggesting forgoing
exercise; nothing works quite as well at encouraging both brain and body health
as the real thing.
The study was recently published in the Journal of
Neurophysiology.
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