You found out the limitations of cramming when you used to spend five minutes filling your head with useless knowledge back in high school. (As if history ever taught us anything important!) However, a group of experts now claim that the key to retaining new information may be a strategically timed workout.
A study conducted at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands had subjects split into three groups. Each group was given 40 minutes to complete a learning task where they had to view 90 images and learn their corresponding locations on a computer screen. One of the groups was asked to do 35 minutes of interval training immediately after the task. Another group did the same workout four hours later. The final group (aka the lucky pricks) did not exercise at all.
After 48 hours, the three groups were given a test in which they had to recall the information from the learning activity. Researchers also used functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate brain activity during the test. Study participants who exercised four hours after studying had the best memory recall. The inactive study subjects came in second, and the participants who worked out immediately after studying showed no difference in their level of recall.
Researchers believe that physical activity triggers the release of neurotransmitters in the brain that enhance memory. They also theorize that working out too soon after studying may interfere with turning the information into long-term memories. The research team plans to do further studies to get a better idea of how the timing and type of exercise impact memory.
Learning this prompted us to delve into the topic deeper and ask an expert for help remembering things … Memory Tricks To Use If You Can’t Remember Things
