Top soccer players are seen to have higher brain function.

[Passionandcare]

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/10/s...are-seen-to-have-superior-brain-function.html

What do you guys think of nature vs nurture? I found this article to be pretty interesting. People being born great soccer players. Do you think hard work could ever beat, this sort of, natural talent?

 

[Fivo]

[YOUTUBE]eGDBR2L5kzI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

A lot of people had already hypothesized based on observational evidence that higher sensory-response times is related to higher intelligence and brain function. I don't really know much about it, but I know my neural systems professor talked about it last semester.

 

[GOMERE]

Exercise => increase perfusion of to all tissues including brain.=> increased nutrition, and increased waste removal => optimal growth => optimal functioning.
Did you know that the Colorado Teather Shooter was a soccer player?😍

 

[Charles Darwin]

]A lot of people had already hypothesized based on observational evidence that higher sensory-response times is related to higher intelligence and brain function[/B]. I don't really know much about it, but I know my neural systems professor talked about it last semester.

Anyone who has spent an extended period of time with any baseball team knows that's not true.

Tennis players, on the other hand... 😀

 

[SpecterGT260]

Exercise => increase perfusion of to all tissues including brain.=> increased nutrition, and increased waste removal => optimal growth => optimal functioning.
Did you know that the Colorado Teather Shooter was a soccer player?😍

This isnt really true... From what I understand, brain perfusion is held constant under pretty much all conditions.

 

[sliceofbread136]

This isnt really true... From what I understand, brain perfusion is held constant under pretty much all conditions.

Yup, it is a very important control system. I had a test question on this in my transport class.

 

[UrshumMurshum]

In a healthy individual the cerebral autoregulation is more or less the same.

There are some conditions which can disrupt the autoregulation.

 

[sliceofbread136]

In a healthy individual the cerebral autoregulation is more or less the same.

There are some conditions which can disrupt the autoregulation.

Isn't it really bad when that happens though? Like only with severe head injurys?

 

[SpecterGT260]

Isn't it really bad when that happens though? Like only with severe head injurys?

typically only severe hypertension is going to run away from the autoregulation. Im sure there are other things people come across, but the regulation is local on the small vessel level.

 

[Camy99]

My soccer coach always told me there was some research or whatever somewhere that said soccer players had highest intelligence in all the sports. As a soccer player, I had no problem agreeing (;

 

[BiopsychStudent]

My soccer coach always told me there was some research or whatever somewhere that said soccer players had highest intelligence in all the sports. As a soccer player, I had no problem agreeing (;

There's some research or whatever somewhere finding whatever kind of correlation you want to find, always remember.

 

[PanRoasted]

All the smartest people I know are also athletes. Not professional or even collegiate, but they are all physically active and pretty good at the sports they do play.

so obviously all athletes are smart lol

 

[SpecterGT260]

All the smartest people I know are also athletes. Not professional or even collegiate, but they are all physically active and pretty good at the sports they do play.

so obviously all athletes are smart lol

^has obviously never seen a post game ESPN interview 🙂

 

[GOMERE]

This isnt really true... From what I understand, brain perfusion is held constant under pretty much all conditions.

It's cerebral perfusion pressure that is kept constant, but the cerebral blood flow changes as the resistance increases or decreases.
😱

Really
😎

 

[SpecterGT260]

It's cerebral perfusion pressure that is kept constant, but the cerebral blood flow changes as the resistance increases or decreases.
😱

Really
😎

At first I was going to get really sad that you didnt realize that the level of "nutrition" delivered is dependent on perfusion and not simply on blood flow through the major vessels. But then I re-read your first post

Exercise => increase perfusion of to all tissues including brain.=> increased nutrition, and increased waste removal => optimal growth => optimal functioning.
Did you know that the Colorado Teather Shooter was a soccer player?😍

So, perfusion is increased because perfusion is held constant but blood flow is variable, huh?

You must be new to the internet, so FYI, your past comments remain even after you said them
😱
Really
😎


your rationale for exercise making one "smarter" is still simply wrong . IIRC, the brain vasculature increases resistance during exercise due to a systemic increase in average blood pressure (mostly pulse pressure). This essentially maintains constant pressure in the brain by slowing down blood flow to the brain while the blood in the rest of your body is racing around. Id have to go back and check my phys notes, but if we can agree that the brain self-regulates to maintain a constant pressure, this is really the only mechanism that is physically possible (and kiddos, this is why I keep saying the pre-clinic years are so important... assuming you learn the mechanisms behind things and don't just memorize a series of facts that you can turn around and confuse later 👍)

 

[SpecterGT260]

The benefit of having all of my notes in PDF format on my ipad is that everything I need is a short search away.

I am quoting here from part 2 in our lecture on exercise physiology

"4. Cerebral Blood Flow: is unchanged during exercise."

also

"2. Splanchnic and Renal Blood Flows (SBF, RBF):
a) The splanchnic and renal vascular beds each receive about 25% of the CO at rest........
.... b)... blood flow to each declines during exercise in proportion to the intensity of the work performed as represented by the declining portion of CO going to the region in fig. 14

Gunna have to trust me that the figure supports this 🙂

Moral of the story: Not all vascular beds receive more blood during exercise. But ya, u no, whatevs. Gunna go pump some iron know. Get my swoll on and ace my boards (not an emoticon for excitement, thats me workin the shoulders)

 

[GOMERE]

LoL
No I said Perfusion in the original post. It's perfusion pressure that's constant, that's different than perfusion. 😱

At first I was going to get really sad that you didnt realize that the level of "nutrition" delivered is dependent on perfusion and not simply on blood flow through the major vessels. But then I re-read your first post



So, perfusion is increased because perfusion is held constant but blood flow is variable, huh?

You must be new to the internet, so FYI, your past comments remain even after you said them
😱
Really
😎


your rationale for exercise making one "smarter" is still simply wrong . IIRC, the brain vasculature increases resistance during exercise due to a systemic increase in average blood pressure (mostly pulse pressure). This essentially maintains constant pressure in the brain by slowing down blood flow to the brain while the blood in the rest of your body is racing around. Id have to go back and check my phys notes, but if we can agree that the brain self-regulates to maintain a constant pressure, this is really the only mechanism that is physically possible (and kiddos, this is why I keep saying the pre-clinic years are so important... assuming you learn the mechanisms behind things and don't just memorize a series of facts that you can turn around and confuse later 👍)

 

[SpecterGT260]

LoL
No I said Perfusion in the original post. It's perfusion pressure that's constant, that's different than perfusion. 😱

Then you are working with your own definitions. This is not a distinction anyone really uses.
Perfusion in all ways is held constant in the brain with regards to exercise. Your idea of better anything leading to better nutrition or waste clearing and therefore "optimal function" is simply not rooted in reality. And right now it would appear you are attempting to twist words to defend a bunk notion.....

Capillary bed perfusion is a direct result of perfusion pressure (or arteriole-venule pressure gradient). You are attempting to separate the two but you cannot. In exercise or any conditions, the cerebral vasculature self-regulates. If systemic BP rises, the resistance in the cerebral vasculature will go up and will slow down blood flow relative to the system, but the flow experienced by cerebral capillary beds remains the same . This is simple fluid dynamics. If it is still confusing you, any of our pre-med friends who are currently studying MCAT physics can probably explain it as well. Brain perfusion does not change during exercise except in small amount in terms of what you may see in an FMRI. This isn't intended to mean that it goes up in some places. This means it goes up in some and down in others according to use. That's it (and honestly only speculative since I am not personally aware of any FMRI studies for exercise).

So yes, perfusion pressure is constant. And therefore perfusion is constant. So is blood flow You will find that simply stating something isn't really going to be sufficient here. A major pet peeve of mine is someone who just memorizes and regurgitates a very trivial and boiled down factoid - specifically because it will likely get misused as it does here. If you disagree, rather than just trying to spin new words or highlight some unknown technicality between perfusion and perfusion pressure, please give a mechanism by which what you are saying is at all valid 🙂

 

[SpecterGT260]

Here we are - real science and figures rather than shot from the hip assumptions 👍
http://jp.physoc.org/content/533/3/849.full

The purpose of these experiments was to use radiolabelled microspheres to measure blood flow distribution within the brain, and in particular to areas associated with motor function, maintenance of equilibrium, cardiorespiratory control, vision, hearing and smell, at rest and during exercise in miniature swine. Exercise consisted of steady-state treadmill running at intensities eliciting 70 and 100 % maximal oxygen consumption

Blood flow was not locally elevated to cortical regions associated with motor and somatosensory functions during exercise, but was increased to several subcortical areas that are involved in the control of locomotion.

Exercise elevated perfusion and diminished vascular resistance in several regions of the brain related to the maintenance of equilibrium (vestibular nuclear area, cerebellar ventral vermis and floccular lobe), cardiorespiratory control (medulla and pons), and vision (dorsal occipital cortex, superior colliculi and lateral geniculate body). Conversely, blood flow to regions related to hearing (cochlear nuclei, inferior colliculi and temporal cortex) and smell (olfactory bulbs and rhinencephalon) were unaltered by exercise and associated with increases in vascular resistance.

Generally brain blood flow is maintained at a relatively constant rate (Heistad & Kontos, 1983). However, during exercise total brain blood flow in humans has been shown to increase (Hedlund et al. 1962; Thomas et al. 1989). Evidence suggests that the increase in perfusion is due to local increases in blood flow to regions associated with increased motor function.

I threw this last one in here because I suspected you would try to capitalize on it. The paper they cite says -

Studies in animals using radioactive microspheres to
measure whole-brain CBF have shown no change during
submaximal or maximal exercise (4,5, 10,19).

And they again relate only to region specific flow. If we want to be really nitpicky I will concede that some flow increase happens. Since all flow remains constant on the whole, some flow is also reduced. Of the areas that have been observed to increase, these are in areas that have nothing to do with higher function or cognition so we are still not going to agree on any mechanism by which you become "smarter".

And we also just havent addressed the underlying assumption of your post that increased perfusion automatically is a good thing for the brain. The brain is so tightly regulated for a reason. This "increased waste removal, increased nuturition, optimal functioning" reasoning is completely absurd

 

[GOMERE]

Cool Good Job on your research man.

 

[SpecterGT260]

You're going to what type of medical school now? Your smugness in rejecting sound reason and research and propensity for making things up as you go along makes me suspect ND......

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[ShenanigansMD]

1. Articles on headbutting seem to contradict this.

2. Unless you're the goalie, soccer players don't use their hands. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but one of the things that sets humans apart is the ability to throw accurately, so I'm not sure why a soccer player would be smarter than a baseball player; maybe the cardio boosts brain power.