How Lifting Makes You Smarter (Osteocalcin)

Aloha my friends!

You may have heard that exercise has many benefits for brain health and cognition. That is 100% true, due to a variety of factors.

However, today I wanted to tell you about one way that resistance training (e.g. weightlifting) in particular provides cognitive benefits in an additional way that NO OTHER type of exercise does!

Here it is:

It has long been known that resistance training triggers bones to release a protein called OSTEOCALCIN into the bloodstream. 

Scientists originally thought that osteocalcin’s function was just to help strengthen those bones (which it does do).

However, more recent research has discovered that osteocalcin also functions as a powerful HORMONE. And one of its actions as a hormone is to travel up to the brain, where it acts on neurons to do the following:

• Improve memory
• Enhance learning capacity
• Improve cognitive executive function
• Help prevent age-related cognitive decline
• Help prevent dementia and related diseases like Alzheimer’s
• Reduce anxiety

Application: Weight training triggers osteocalcin release from bones, which literally makes you SMARTER!

Relevant Previous FTF Tips (for All-Access Members):

1) Week 55  | This Miracle Veggie Prevents Age-Related Muscular Atrophy, Heavy-Lifting Muscle Damage, Cancer, Neurodegeneration, Skin Aging & More!

Relevant Research Article(s):

1) Osteocalcin in the brain: from embryonic development to age-related decline in cognition

2) Osteocalcin—A Versatile Bone-Derived Hormone

Relevant Dr. Gains YouTube Video(s):

1) 6 Reasons Why WEIGHT Training is BETTER Than CARDIO For Long-Term Weight / Fat Loss (25+ Studies)