How to Improve Brain Function for Brain Fitness & Cognitive Efficiency

Brain training exercises, brain nutrition and physical exercise all combine to improve brain function. Fit brains are physically healthier, live longer & enjoy more cognitive efficiency for greater effectiveness.

What is the neural and physiological basis of improving brain function for brain fitness? There are two ways the brain can increase functional efficiency and brain power: 1. Brain plasticity – the ability of brain to reorganise itself by growing new brain cells (neurogenesis) and new or stronger connections between brain cells (synaptic plasticity). 2. Energy supply - for brain cell activity - particularly under high work loads. Fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence and IQ level are largely based on the functioning of two brain structures: the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. Natural brain foods, brain supplements, physical exercise and a specific executive process brain training exercise have all been shown to increase brain plasticity or improve energy supply in the hippocampus and/or prefrontal cortex - thus improving brain function, fluid intelligence and IQ.

Exercise, brain supplements & brain training stimulate brain plasticity & improve brain function

The scientific references for the effects of physical exercise, brain nutrition and brain training on brain function and brain fitness can be found here .

Regular physical exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, yoga) is known to be effective in the prevention of hyper-tension, heart disease, cancer, type II diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. It is less well known that exercise is one of the best ways to stimulate brain plasticity in the hippocampus and improve brain function & cognitive efficiency throughout the lifespan. Regular exercise on some measures results in 2-3 times as many new neurons being produced by the brain. A physically active lifestyle can also prevent or delay loss of cognitive efficiency with aging, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Brain nutrition can also have a direct impact on brain plasticity and cognitive efficiency. A diet high in saturated fat and sugar (junk foods) not only increases risk of cardio-vascular disease and cancer, but sharply reduces the brain’s production of new neurons and results in cognitive decline. On the positive side, several natural brain foods and brain supplements have been shown in laboratory tests to promote brain plasticity and improve brain function & cognitive efficiency (see table below). Creatine supplementation for example – which helps regulate a rich fuel supply to brain cells - has been shown in one study to increase fluid intelligence by an extraordinary 40% on a valid IQ test.

brain nutrients for brain fitness: click to enlarge

Scientists believe brain foods and exercise work synergistically, tapping into common cellular pathways for brain plasticity, learning and memory.

Brain training. Aside from brain nutrition & physical exercise, research shows that daily brain training for half an hour over a 4 week period with a specific brain training exercise called the dual n-back results in increased brain plasticity of neural connections in the prefrontal cortex - part of the brain circuitry for fluid intelligence. This brain plasticity underlies the dramatic training improvements in memory, fluid intelligence and IQ. No other known brain training exercise is known to directly improve fluid intelligence and IQ - by 40% in the original scientific study, as tested by a version of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, one of the most well known IQ tests for general intelligence. We supply this training exercise. Click here to find out more about our High IQ Pro® software.

This combination of factors known to improve brain function and brain plasticity can be represented like this.

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