Engaging the core could regulate blood flow in the brain
Engaging core muscles—through movement, exercise or even coughing—may be a key regulator of blood flow in the brain. When the body moves, the contraction of abdominal muscles increases pressure in blood vessels connected to the brain through the spinal column. A new study by researchers at Penn State shows that the increased pressure creates ultrafast constrictions of major veins in the brain,…
Moving the body through exercise or even coughing may regulate blood flow in the brain, according to a new study. When the body moves, abdominal muscles contract, increasing pressure in blood vessels connected to the brain. This pressure causes ultrafast constrictions of brain veins, boosting blood flow, according to researchers at Penn State.
Understanding this connection could shed light on the link between exercise and brain health, or why movement can worsen migraines and headaches. The study, conducted in mice, appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Everyday movements, such as walking, running, or breathing, alter pressures throughout the body, impacting brain blood flow.
Qingguang Zhang, the paper's first author and now an assistant professor at Michigan State University, was surprised by the veins' rapid response to movement. The findings challenge the notion that the brain's circulation is independent of the rest of the body. While the research was done in mice, the researchers believe the relationship between abdominal contraction, movement, and brain blood flow is similar in humans.
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