There is a lot of noise in our heads. From the thoughts that are on an endless loop, to the background noise that surrounds us, to our own neurons, and yes, they make noise.
Our brain is busy and complex
The human brain is made up of 100 billion cells. These cells can live for as long as we do making them the oldest cells in our bodies. Our brain only weighs about 1.4 kilos, or 3 pounds, but consumes 15% of our blood supply and 20% of our fuel, oxygen and carbohydrates primarily.
According to new research done at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario humans have approximately 6,200 thoughts per day. The researchers were able to isolate the specific moment when someone was focused on a single idea and described this focused thinking as a “thought worm”
Jordan Poppenk, Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience says,
“What we call thought worms are adjacent points in a simplified representation of activity patterns in the brain. The brain occupies a different point in this ‘state space’ at every moment.”
Nature Communications
This is the first time that individual thoughts have been measured as there was no way of detecting specific thoughts before.
There is something else that has recently been measured in your brain and it is directly related to fitness.
The noise from your brain
Not the noise in your head from all your thoughts, but the actual noise your brain makes.
Neurobiologist Nina Kraus can hear your brain at her lab called Brainvolts located at Northwestern University in Illinois. At the lab, the researchers attach electrodes to participants’ heads and listen to the electricity that your brain produces in response to sounds.
What did they find out from listening to our brains?
Athletes have quieter brains than non-athletes.
An athletic brain has less static.
It is more like a radio station dialled into the perfect frequency, than one that has too much static to hear properly.
This brain benefit is heard in all types of athletes and with no gender differences.
A fitter body means a quieter brain.
Nina Kraus explains,
“Making sense of sound is actually one of the most complex jobs we ask of our brains.
“The brain is hungry for information and it actually creates electrical activity when it doesn’t get enough. But it creates random and staticky activity, which in the end is more of a problem because it gets in the way of making sense of sound.”
Nina Kraus, Neurobiologist
Other studies have shown that learning a language or playing an instrument improves the way our brains process sound, but being fit changes the brain in a different way. It reduces the background noise.
Nina also thinks that,
“Physical activity seems to track with a quieter nervous system. If you have a healthier nervous system and brain, you may be able to better handle injury or other health problems.”
Nina Kraus, Neurobiologist
These studies were performed on college-aged athletes and the results were clear, fitness changes your brain. All sports and activities require an ability to focus on subtle sounds and signals to perform at your best.
Even if your best simply means a quieter mind.
Change your mind, change your health,
Shayla
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