Especially when it comes to ebikes, in Europe, 68% of users are older than 55. Probably they are a bit younger in the US. Still, the older we get, the less performant our brains become. Cycling is a good tool to keep our brains healthy. Learn why ebikes can be way more beneficial for mental proficiency than regular bikes, even if you are young. Needless to say, regular intense exercise with an organic bicycle even dilates blood vessels, thus long-term improving mental prowess. In this article, we mean that short time reasoning is improved more by light efforts than by stronger ones. Bikes and ebikes have different advantages. We don’t mean in the least that ebikes are superior.
How the brain functions by biking, benefiting its health
Without going into too much detail, an introduction to how muscle contraction occurs is essential, as it is the basis for understanding the dynamics and subsequent training. It all starts in the brain: a motor command arises here, in the form of an electrical impulse (action potential). The potential runs along the spinal cord and reaches the end of the motor neuron. Here there is a space between the motor neuron and the muscle fiber, called the synaptic space. The electrical impulse stimulates the production of a neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which reaches the muscle fiber. There takes place the transmission of the action potential to the muscle, which travels through specific channels (transverse T-tubules) and reaches the contractile unit: the sarcomere. From here we can see how the neural part of force is as important as the muscular part. That’s why biking stimulates the sensorial part of the brain cortex, i.e. what gives us the perception of our muscles, of our body and its movements.
Why ebikes can be more beneficial to mental health and brain functions than regular bikes
Especially for not so young people, electrical assistance allows them to cycle longer distances. Moreover, it is much easier to regularly use an ebike than a normal bike, because the former is more suitable for commuting, shopping, etc. Scientists point out that regularity is paramount to reap the most benefits from cycling.
Moreover, stress induced by strong physical efforts hampers brain functions. Just gauge your reasoning performance while biking on a steep, long climb. Ebikes allow us to considerably reduce our physical effort.
A study published in early 2019 analyzed the effect of outdoor cycling on the cognitive function and mental well-being of 100 adults aged 50 to 83. What is unique about this study is that the researchers also evaluated the effect of using a pedal-assisted bicycle (ebike). The analysis lasted 8 weeks, and participants pedaled at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. The researchers assessed the participants’ cognitive functions and well-being before and after the 8 weeks of cycling. With regard to executive functions (attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility), both the group of participants who cycled on a standard bike and those who used the ebike showed significant improvement in cognitive performance compared with the group of participants who did not cycle. Surprisingly, the scholars showed that the improvements of the group that used ebikes were similar, sometimes even greater, than those who pedaled muscle bikes. This study suggests that ebike use also has positive effects on our brain function (Leyland LA. and others., 2019).
Unless you avoid prolonged efforts, regular bikes are less beneficial to the brain than ebikes
Professor Bijli Nanda’s study: “Single acute bouts of moderately-intense aerobic exercise like walking have been found to improve cognitive control of attention in children, but some studies have reported no improvement in cognitive flexibility following acute aerobic exercise. Submaximal aerobic exercise performed for 60 minutes facilitated specific aspects of information processing in adults but extended exercises leading to dehydration compromised both information processing and memory functions. Improvement in executive functions has also been reported during cycling at 70% of Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) across young and older age groups.”
“Hi mom, I am happy that I arrived one”
Several years ago, in Italy, a famous cyclist champion triggered the sarcastic comments of the masses. Interviewed on television right after his victory, he greeted his mom saying that he had arrived “one”, instead of first. I think that was another example of how impaired our brains are during and right after a heavy physical effort.
That explains well why ebikes are far more beneficial to our brains than bikes, if we ride the latter pedaling full throttle, deploying most of our energies. When our muscles consume the maximum possible quantities of oxygen of the blood (oxyhemoglobin), little is left for brain functions. That does not mean that muscles siphon the oxygen, just that the overall blood oxygen rate is lowered. Reasoning, memory and perceptions are all negatively affected by heavy, prolonged physical efforts. Ebikes allow faster riding with moderate effort, one feels like traveling on a flying carpet. Ebike riding stimulates the production of serotonin and dopamine. Consequently, our cognitive capacities are enhanced during and after riding.
Brain aging and e-biking
Aging not only coincides with muscle atrophy and loss of strength (so-called sarcopenia), but also negatively affects brain and cognitive abilities such as attention, active thinking, and memory.
Take into account that the brain, if not not stimulated, begins to atrophy from the age of 30 onward, and atrophy is “random” and can affect the frontal, prefontal, or temporal cortex, resulting in reduced speech, movement, or memory abilities.
A recent review of the US national Library of medicine (i.e., a critical analysis of all present studies), entitled “Physical exercise and cognitive performance in the elderly: current perspectives” sought to understand the effects that consistent physical activity has on cognitive abilities in people aged 60 and older. The numerous studies, analyzed by the review, showed how aerobic-type activity has beneficial effects on oxygenation and nutrient exchanges to the brain, helping it stay “young.” In some studies, it was seen how, in patients with dementia, physical activity was able to regress the disease to a lower stage.
In conclusion, it has been amply demonstrated how biking definitely has positive effects on brain functioning, from improving cognitive performance to fighting stress, anxiety and depression and preventing serious diseases such as Parkinson’s.
Both non-agonistic biking and e-biking reduce stress
According to Luca Murru, neuroscientist, specializing in research on neuronal activity in degenerative brain diseases at CNR (Italy’s National Research Council), cycling regularly helps combat stress by reducing levels of cortisol (the so-called stress hormone) and reduces anxious states with the release of a category of hormones called endorphins that act as anxiolytics as well as natural painkillers. In addition, cycling increases levels of a molecule called anandamide that belongs to the cannabinoid family, of which the active ingredient in marijuana is also a member. Acting on the same receptors that marijuana acts on, it induces very similar effects such as euphoria, improves creative thinking and the ability to find solutions to problems. This explains the frequent state of excitement that cyclists experience after a good bike ride. On the other hand, agonistic cycling causes stress and impairs brain functioning during strong physical efforts, thus being much less beneficial for the brain.
Ebike riding gives the closest sensations to flying
Those who ride an ebike, especially an e-city bike with smooth tires, know what we mean. Moreover, an ebike can become our personal moving workshop for creative thinking.
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