>> The fact that many physically disabled
people, including the supremely intelligent physicist Professor Stephen
Hawking as a great example, are very intelligent and alert immediately
deposes this myth. After all, these individuals are able to do little or
no
physical exercise, yet they suffer from no cognitive deficits. In a less
extreme fashion, there are and always have been some extremely sedentary
geniuses in all walks of life who do not seem to be adversely affected in
mental function by their lack of exercise.<<
Though I agree with you about this topic, the argument that you are using is
not a good one. Starting smoking with the excuse that some people live until
the age of 100 isn't a good one either.
Isaac
-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sendt: 25. april 2002 03:06
Til: [log in to unmask]
Emne: PP128: Exercise and Brain Function Paradox
Here is another Puzzle & Paradox in my ongoing series (PP128).
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
For newcomers to this forum, these P&Ps are Propositions, not facts or
dogmatic proclamations. They are intended to stimulate interaction among
users working in different fields, to re-examine traditional concepts,
foster
distance education, question our beliefs and suggest new lines of research
or
approaches to training. We look forward to responses from anyone who has
views or relevant information on the topics.
PP128 Research suggesting that exercise has a profound effect on brain
function may be misleading and inaccurate.
Ever since the adage "a sound mind in a sound body" was coined in ancient
Greece, it has been inferred by many that exercise enhances cognitive
function. Nowadays, with the plethora of modern technological tools
available to science, researchers have been able to produce evidence that
appears to confirm that this indeed is the case, which has led hosts of
fitness professionals to gleefully use this information to sell their
training programs.
Thus, we are bombarded with research and fitness claims that regular
exercise
enhances memory, grows additional dendrites in the brain, arrests various
brain dysfunctions and generally improves various cognitive functions.
Tests
of limited scope applied to selected cohorts of subjects appear to confirm
some of these claims, but very little is said which cautions the
over-enthusiastic appropriation of these findings by fitness professionals
to
market their unique training programs on "mind fitness", "whole body
fitness", "grow more dendrites" etc etc.
Some folk even suggest that those who exercise regularly are far more likely
to retain and exhibit high levels of cognitive competence than those who do
not exercise. In many cases, cognitive competence in some rather mundane
laboratory tests of capabilities such as memory, attention, elementary logic
and simple arithmetic seems to be confused with intelligence, academic
brilliance and creative thinking. The fact that many physically disabled
people, including the supremely intelligent physicist Professor Stephen
Hawking as a great example, are very intelligent and alert immediately
deposes this myth. After all, these individuals are able to do little or
no
physical exercise, yet they suffer from no cognitive deficits. In a less
extreme fashion, there are and always have been some extremely sedentary
geniuses in all walks of life who do not seem to be adversely affected in
mental function by their lack of exercise.
Does this not suggest that many of the claims currently being made about the
benefits of exercise for enhancing mental function may be very misleading
and
exaggerated? Does the research accurately apply more to cases of certain
pathology and not among the general population, especially those who are
nowhere near being classified as "seniors"? Is it not necessary to examine
far more carefully what changes in cognitive function actually take place in
response to different types of exercise in different populations? Are
fitness professionals prematurely extrapolating a few positive findings into
areas which the original researchers did not intend? Is this sort of
research simply another example of exercise chauvinism by those who are
exercise fanatics?
Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/
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