02/08/2026
Did you know that even a single session of HIIT or SIT can deliver short-term boosts in attention, memory, and mental clarity—perfect for days when you need to be on your game? This same study also found that people who had bigger increases in blood lactate tended to show more improvement in attention. Over weeks and months, these benefits build, supporting long-term brain health and resilience.
A big reason? HIIT increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)—a key chemical that supports neuroplasticity, learning, brain health, and mood. Higher BDNF levels are linked to better mental health and may help protect against conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
For those interested in diving into the research around exercise, cognition, and brain health, I highly recommend reading this article (https://bit.ly/44Yarvu). It highlights how some early research suggests that exercise might help reduce brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s and improve conditions like small vessel disease, a common cause of dementia.
So far, studies have mostly looked at how exercise affects gray matter in the brain (like the hippocampus, which is tied to memory). But new research shows exercise may also improve white matter (which helps with brain communication), brain blood flow, and overall brain connectivity. We still don’t fully understand how these changes relate to actual improvements in thinking and memory, but it’s exciting to know that there are more high-quality studies on the way that’ll help answer some of these questions.
