Leg exercise may be critical to brain: leg suspension reduces neural stem cells in subventricular zone by 70% compared to controls (animal study)
From the article:
The study involved restricting mice from using their hind legs, but not their front legs, over a period of 28 days. The mice continued to eat and groom normally and did not exhibit stress. At the end of the trial, the researchers examined an area of the brain called the sub-ventricular zone, which in many mammals has the role of maintaining nerve cell health. It is also the area where neural stem cells produce new neurons.
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Limiting physical activity decreased the number of neural stem cells by 70 percent compared to a control group of mice, which were allowed to roam. Furthermore, both neurons and oligodendrocytes – specialized cells that support and insulate nerve cells – didn’t fully mature when exercise was severely reduced.