Nick Norwitz breaks down a twin study showing people with stronger legs had less cognitive decline and more gray matter years later. Leg power boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor, improves blood flow to the brain, and helps regulate glucose. Stronger muscles mean a healthier brain.
This is wild. A twin study found that greater leg power predicts brain volume over time. What researchers did is they studied pairs of twins and found that the twin with greater explosive leg strength at baseline had less cognitive decline and larger gray matter brain volume on MRI years later. And honestly, when you stop to think about it, it makes total biological sense because muscle is not just for movement. It is an endocrine organ, a hormone factory that releases brain-supportive signaling molecules like BDNF into Greater leg power is also usually associated with better cardiovascular fitness, which improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, and stronger muscle is linked to better insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation, which are also predictors of long-term brain health. So moral of the story, squat for your synapses and subscribe to learn more.
