After a marathon, the myelin levels in the brain of runners temporarily decrease, suggesting that this fatty tissue may serve as an energy source for athletes, according to a report by Meghan Rosen titled “Brain tissue may help fuel marathoners” (SN: 11/18/23, p. 16). It is unclear whether ketogenic diets have an impact on myelin levels. Neurologist Russell Swerdlow of the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City states that these diets generally do not cause clinically relevant hypoglycemia, leaving enough glucose in the body to fuel brain cells. However, extreme calorie restriction, such as that experienced by individuals with anorexia nervosa, can reduce myelin levels in the brain, according to neurobiologist Carlos Matute of the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience and the University of the Basque Country in Leioa, Spain. Reader Kimberly Barden inquired about the potential connection between marathoners’ myelin loss and the phenomenon of runner’s high. Matute explains that runner’s high is not directly related to myelin loss, as it is associated with the release of certain neurotransmitters and endorphins in the brain, activating reward brain circuits that generate a state of euphoria and well-being.
2024-01-21 07:00:00
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