Running and executive function

There are lots of studies showing that running improves executive function, which Psychology Today describes as

a set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and successfully execute their goals. The “executive functions,” as they’re known, include attentional control, working memory, inhibition, and problem-solving, many of which are thought to originate in the brain’s prefrontal cortex.

For example, one Japanese study from 2019 found that, compared to brain function at rest, just 10 minutes of moderate-intensity running (50% of VO₂ Max) increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex and thereby significantly boosts both executive function (measured using the Stroop Color and Word Test) and mood, which is also controlled by the prefrontal cortex. The lead author has opined that "running may stimulate the prefrontal cortex more broadly to benefit mood and executive function than other forms of exercise that do not require as much coordination of weight-bearing activity, such as pedaling."

 

That study measured the immediate effects of a 10-minute run, but do the benefits last and do they increase if you run more? A 2022 paper by Lauren Bainter measured "The Effects of Running Durations on Executive Function" for runners versus non-runners generally, that is, not immediately after a run. Bainter used the same Stroop Color and Word Test, which measures cognitive inhibition,* as in the Japanese study, but also two additional tests that measure other aspects of executive function: the Corsi block-tapping test for visuospatial short-term working memory and the 2-back task to test working memory capacity. Bainter found significant correlations for all three tests but especially for improved cognitive inhibition and working memory capacity. And more good news for distance runners, her data also suggested a possible dose-response relationship, because there was a more significant correlation with running volume (mileage) than the number of running days. As Bainter explained, "[r]unning more miles in a week would produce more favorable outcomes for cognitive function rather than running a lower frequency of miles over the span of more days (i.e., running 15 miles in 3 days compared to running 5 miles in 5 days)."

 

So why should there be a connection between running (and exercise more generally) and executive function? David Raichlen, an evolutionary biologist (and runner), and his co-author Gene Alexander, a neuroscientist, have developed an Adaptive Capacity Model (ACM) to explain "how and why physical activity improves brain function." They posit that

exercise is linked to cognition because our evolutionary history included a shift to cognitively demanding foraging patterns that required combining elements of motor control, memory, spatial navigation, and executive functions with high levels of aerobic physical activity. ... The ACM suggests that our evolutionary history as cognitively engaged, “endurance athletes” during foraging led to enhanced neural responses to exercise.

But now that we are no longer foraging for food and are instead generally chronically inactive over the lifespan, our brains adapt to "reduce capacity as part of an energy-saving strategy, leading to age-related brain atrophy." Which is where running and other forms of aerobic exercise come in to once again improve brain function.

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* "Cognitive inhibition" refers to the Stroop Effect (named after the American psychologist John Ridley Stroop, who studied attentional control), which deals with one's ability to tune out stimuli that are irrelevant to the task at hand.

 

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This recipe doesn't require any foraging (unless you're growing your own asparagus or beans) or much in the way of executive function, because it's so easy. But it is quick and tasty and a good source of carbs after your run.

 

 

Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Lemon Pasta

Adapted from Deb Perelman via Smitten Kitchen (May 17, 2009)

Time: ~30 minutes

You can swap in string beans for the asparagus, once asparagus season is over.

1 pound short pasta such as rotini or rigatoni
1 to 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces (see note)
140 grams (one 5-ounce log) soft fresh goat cheese
53 grams (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon, plus some of the juice to taste
A handful of chopped fresh tarragon, chives, parsley, or basil, or a mix
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

    1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a roiling boil in a large, covered stockpot over high heat. Stir in the fine sea salt until dissolved. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep it from sticking. Cook until 3 to 6 minutes short of what the package suggests for al dente (3 to 4 minutes if you have slender asparagus spears, 5 to 6 minutes for thicker asparagus). Add the asparagus to the pot with the pasta, then cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain, reserving a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
    2. Meanwhile, place the goat cheese, oil, lemon zest, and herbs in a large serving bowl. Using a dinner fork, mash and mix everything together.
    3. Add the cooked pasta and ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water to the goat cheese mixture. Toss until the cheese is melted and the sauce coats the pasta evenly, adding more pasta waster as needed. Season generously with pepper and kosher salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice if needed. Serves 4.