Smart Jocks
Eugene Sychugov
2nd
4/12/13
Brain Essay/Summary Charles Hillman explains that not all jocks are dumb, but are smart. He did an experiment with third and fifth graders to see if they became smarter by exercising before doing something academic. Charles measured all the kids body mass index which is a number calculated from a person’s height and weight, and tells how much body fatness you have. After he had all the kids work out he had them take a state wide standardized test. He then checked their scores, and the ones that were the fittest physically were the ones who had the fittest brains. From Charles experiment he had concluded that sports might indeed boost a student’s intellect. Hillman was to write a book but isn’t definitive enough to stand by itself, but many other scientists are working on the same theory Hillman came up with. Scientists were able to coax new nerve cells in the brain by putting people on a three month aerobic workout regimen or exercises requiring air/oxygen. Studies had also discovered that physical activity can reduce your chances of Alzheimer’s disease; a disease that results in memory loss, confusion, mood swings, etc. Greeks were known as “scholar-athlete’s” which fitness was as important as learning, they were into “the mind body connection.” Researchers have figured out that back in the day westerners knew that aerobic exercise helps the heart pump more blood to the brain, more blood means more oxygen, and leading to well-nourished brain cells. It’s been proved that exercise can affect a person’s cognition or someone’s mental process that includes attention and memory. When you exercise, chemicals are released, and a protein goes to the brain and goes to the neurotransmitter factory, which transmits signals from neurons to target cells. With regular exercise the body builds up on good chemicals, and the brain’s nerve cells start to branch out and join together and communicate in new ways. People who worked out for three
2nd
4/12/13
Brain Essay/Summary Charles Hillman explains that not all jocks are dumb, but are smart. He did an experiment with third and fifth graders to see if they became smarter by exercising before doing something academic. Charles measured all the kids body mass index which is a number calculated from a person’s height and weight, and tells how much body fatness you have. After he had all the kids work out he had them take a state wide standardized test. He then checked their scores, and the ones that were the fittest physically were the ones who had the fittest brains. From Charles experiment he had concluded that sports might indeed boost a student’s intellect. Hillman was to write a book but isn’t definitive enough to stand by itself, but many other scientists are working on the same theory Hillman came up with. Scientists were able to coax new nerve cells in the brain by putting people on a three month aerobic workout regimen or exercises requiring air/oxygen. Studies had also discovered that physical activity can reduce your chances of Alzheimer’s disease; a disease that results in memory loss, confusion, mood swings, etc. Greeks were known as “scholar-athlete’s” which fitness was as important as learning, they were into “the mind body connection.” Researchers have figured out that back in the day westerners knew that aerobic exercise helps the heart pump more blood to the brain, more blood means more oxygen, and leading to well-nourished brain cells. It’s been proved that exercise can affect a person’s cognition or someone’s mental process that includes attention and memory. When you exercise, chemicals are released, and a protein goes to the brain and goes to the neurotransmitter factory, which transmits signals from neurons to target cells. With regular exercise the body builds up on good chemicals, and the brain’s nerve cells start to branch out and join together and communicate in new ways. People who worked out for three