Research
Hormonal
Physical activity induces epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, which can alter gene expression related to mitochondrial function and brain plasticity, potentially creating an 'epigenetic memory' that affects long-term brain health.
Regular physical activity can change how your genes are expressed, potentially protecting your brain against aging and diseases like Alzheimer's. This happens through epigenetic changes that your body makes in response to exercise.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
lifestyle and diet can induce epigenetic modifications which modify chromatin structure and gene expression... PA can reverse at least some of the unwanted effects of sedentary lifestyle... epigenetic mechanisms induced by PA can build up an 'epigenetic memory' that affects long-term brain plasticity, neurogenesis, and function
Why this rating
The paper cites multiple studies on epigenetic changes due to PA.
Source
Physical Activity and Brain Health
Carlo Maria Di Liegro et al. · Genes · 2019
DOI 10.3390/genes10090720
narrative_reviewCited 359×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Physical activity, particularly aerobic and resistance exercise, improves cognitive processes, memory, and brain health by increasing circulating neurotrophins (BDNF, IGF-1) and myokines that cross the blood-brain barrier to promote neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.Good
- High-intensity interval training (HIT) may be more effective than continuous high-intensity exercise for elevating serum BDNF levels, and open-skill exercises (e.g., badminton) may increase BDNF more than closed-skill exercises (e.g., running).Moderate
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