How Exercise Boosts Oxygen to the Brain

Scientists have long assumed that blood is always saturated with oxygen, but according to a recent study, this isn’t the case and may explain why exercise is linked to better brain function. In the study, researchers monitored respiration, neural activity, blood flow, and brain oxygenation of mice using a treadmill and found that increased respiration led to greater amounts of oxygen in the blood, thus providing more oxygen to the brain. Based on the results, researchers conclude that respiration provides a dynamic pathway for modulating cerebral oxygenation. Nature Communications, December 2019