游泳可以增强大脑，但科学家不知道为什么它比其他有氧运动更好

It’s no secret that aerobic exercise can helpstave off some of the ravages of aging. But a growing body of research suggests that swimming might provide a unique boost to brain health.有氧运动有助于延缓衰老，这已经不是什么秘密了。 但越来越多的研究表明，游泳可能对大脑健康有独特的促进作用。

Regular swimming has been shown to improve memory, cognitive function, immune response and mood. Swimming may also help repair damage from stress and forge new neural connections in the brain.经常游泳已被证明可以改善记忆力、认知功能、免疫反应和情绪。 游泳还有助于修复压力造成的损伤，并在大脑中建立新的神经连接。

As a neurobiologist trained in brain physiology, a fitness enthusiast and a mom, I spend hours at the local pool during the summer. It’s not unusual to see children gleefully splashing and swimming while their parents sunbathe at a distance – and I’ve been one of those parents observing from the poolside plenty of times. But if more adults recognized the cognitive and mental health benefits of swimming, they might be more inclined to jump in the pool alongside their kids.作为接受过大脑生理学培训的神经生物学家、健身爱好者和妈妈，我在夏天会在当地的游泳池度过几个小时。 当他们的父母在远处享受日光浴时，看到孩子们兴高采烈地戏水和游泳并不少见——我本人就是曾多次在池畔观察的父母之一。 但如果更多的成年人认识到游泳对认知和心理健康的好处，他们可能更愿意和孩子一起跳进游泳池。

New and improved brain cells and connections新的和改进的脑细胞和连接

Now, there is clear evidence that aerobic exercise can contribute to neurogenesis and play a key role in helping to reverse or repair damage to neurons and their connections in both mammals and fish.现在，有明确的证据表明，有氧运动可以促进神经发生，并在帮助逆转或修复哺乳动物和鱼类神经元及其连接的损伤方面发挥关键作用。

Research shows that one of the key ways these changes occur in response to exercise is through increased levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The neural plasticity, or ability of the brain to change, that this protein stimulates has been shown to boost cognitive function, including learning and memory.研究表明，这些变化发生的关键方式之一是通过增加一种称为脑源性神经营养因子的蛋白质水平。 这种蛋白质刺激的神经可塑性或大脑改变的能力已被证明可以增强认知功能，包括学习和记忆。

成年人看着孩子们从泳池边戏水很诱人，但研究表明，值得和他们一起跳进去。

Studies in people have found a strong relationship between concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factorcirculating in the brain and an increase in the size of the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning and memory. Increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor have also been shown to sharpen cognitive performance and to help reduce anxiety and depression. In contrast, researchers have observed mood disorders in patients with lower concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. 对人的研究发现，大脑中循环的脑源性神经营养因子的浓度与海马体（负责学习和记忆的大脑区域）的大小增加之间存在密切关系。 脑源性神经营养因子水平的增加也被证明可以提高认知能力，并有助于减少焦虑和抑郁。 相比之下，研究人员在脑源性神经营养因子浓度较低的患者中观察到情绪障碍。

Aerobic exercise also promotes the release of specific chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. One of these is serotonin, which – when present at increased levels – is known to reducedepression and anxiety and improve mood.有氧运动还能促进称为神经递质的特定化学信使的释放。 其中之一是血清素，当其水平升高时，可以减少抑郁和焦虑并改善情绪。

In studies in fish, scientists have observed changes in genes responsible for increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels as well as enhanced development of the dendritic spines – protrusions on the dendrites, or elongated portions of nerve cells – after eight weeks of exercise compared with controls. This complements studies in mammals where brain-derived neurotrophic factor is known to increase neuronal spine density. These changes have been shown to contribute to improved memory, mood and enhanced cognition in mammals. The greater spine density helps neurons build new connections and send more signals to other nerve cells. With the repetition of signals, connections can become stronger.在对鱼类的研究中，科学家们观察到，与对照组相比，在运动八周后，负责增加脑源性神经营养因子水平的基因发生了变化，并促进了树突棘（树突上的突起或神经细胞的延长部分）的发育 . 这补充了在哺乳动物中的研究，其中已知脑源性神经营养因子会增加神经元脊柱密度。 这些变化已被证明有助于改善哺乳动物的记忆力、情绪和认知能力。 更大的脊柱密度有助于神经元建立新的连接并向其他神经细胞发送更多信号。 随着信号的重复，连接会变得更牢固。

But what’s special about swimming?但是游泳有什么特别之处呢？

Swimming has long been recognized for its cardiovascular benefits. Because swimming involves all of the major muscle groups, the heart has to work hard, which increases blood flow throughout the body. This leads to the creation of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. The greater blood flow can also lead to a large release of endorphins – hormones that act as a natural pain reducer throughout the body. This surge brings about the sense of euphoria that often follows exercise.游泳对心血管的益处早已被公认。 因为游泳涉及所有主要肌肉群，所以心脏必须努力工作，这会增加全身的血流量。 这会导致新血管的产生，这一过程称为血管生成。 更大的血流量也会导致内啡肽的大量释放 - 内啡肽在全身起到天然止痛剂的作用。 这种激增带来了运动后经常出现的欣快感。

Kids get a boost from swimming too孩子们也能从游泳中得到提升

The brain-enhancing benefits from swimming appear to also boost learning in children.游泳对大脑增强的好处似乎也促进了儿童的学习。

They found that children’s accuracy was much higher for words learned following swimming compared with coloring and CrossFit, which resulted in the same level of recall. This shows a clear cognitive benefit from swimming versus anaerobic exercise, though the study does not compare swimming with other aerobic exercises. These findings imply that swimming for even short periods of time is highly beneficial to young, developing brains.他们发现，与着色和 CrossFit 相比，儿童在游泳后学到的单词的准确率要高得多，这导致了相同的回忆水平。 这表明游泳与无氧运动相比有明显的认知益处，尽管该研究没有将游泳与其他有氧运动进行比较。 这些发现意味着即使是短时间的游泳对年轻、发育中的大脑也非常有益。

For centuries, people have been in search of a fountain of youth. Swimming just might be the closest we can get.几个世纪以来，人们一直在寻找青春之泉。 游泳可能是我们能得到的最接近的。