Runners' Brains May Have More Connectivity, UA Research Shows

MRI scans reveal that running may affect the structure and function of the brain in ways similar to complex tasks like playing a musical instrument.

If you're thinking about taking up running as your New Year's resolution and still need some convincing, consider this: MRI scans reveal that endurance runners' brains have greater functional connectivity than the brains of more sedentary individuals. University of Arizona researchers compared brain scans of young adult cross country runners to young adults who don't engage in regular physical activity. The runners, overall, showed greater functional connectivity — or connections between distinct brain regions — within several areas of the brain, including the frontal cortex, which is important for cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making and the ability to switch attention between tasks. Although additional research is needed to determine whether these physical differences in brain connectivity result in differences in cognitive functioning, the current findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, help lay the groundwork for researchers to better understand how exercise affects the brain, particularly in young adults. UA running expert David Raichlen, an associate professor of anthropology, co-designed the study with UA psychology professor Gene Alexander, who studies brain aging and Alzheimer's disease as a member of the UA's Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute.