The Mind Muscle Connection.
Quick question, have you ever heard of BDNF?
Full legal name is Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor…
If the answer is no, then I have an informative article for you! (but explained in a fun way)
For starters, it's a protein your body makes that kind of acts like a fertilizer for your brain cells. And I’m not exaggerating here, from scanning the brain it actually helps neurons grow, helps them survive, and helps them build stronger connections with each other.
If your brain were a plant, BDNF is Miracle-Gro.
And I know what you’re thinking; no, this isn't some supplement you need to go buy. As a matter of fact you're probably already doing some of what it takes to make more of it.
We’ll go over that in a second.
What BDNF Actually Does
-It helps your brain form new cells and even new pathways between them.
-It supports your learning and memory.
-It also keeps the connections you already have strong and working.
-It’ll help your brain adapt to life’s stressors, which, let's be honest, is constantly.
Now the dark side of when your producing low levels of BDNF; especially for long periods of time… it’s tied to depression, anxiety, and memory loss. When it's being produced in steady and high amounts, it's protecting your brain in the short and long term.
This is one of those things happening in your body that nobody seems to really talk about. Even though it’s a huge factor in overall cognitive health.
How You Actually Get More Of It
If you haven’t already guessed it, exercise is one of the best known ways to raise BDNF levels. Now it’s not the only way, because sleep matters, and even diet matters too. However, exercise can be the main driver to generally producing more, plus helping you sleep better, and hopefully eat a bit better as well.
So no biohacks, and no supplement stack.
Get your lifts in, do your conditioning (yes, some form of cardio), sleep like it's your job, and eat good stuff.
Your brain is quite literally can be built better because of it.
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