{"id":15060722,"date":"2026-03-28T07:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T11:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/brain-ripples-the-20-minute-cycling-habit-that-literally-rewires-how-you-store-memories\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T07:03:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T11:03:47","slug":"brain-ripples-the-20-minute-cycling-habit-that-literally-rewires-how-you-store-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/brain-ripples-the-20-minute-cycling-habit-that-literally-rewires-how-you-store-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"'Brain Ripples\u2019: The 20-Minute Cycling Habit That Literally Rewires How You Store Memories"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We already know that exercise seems to reduce dementia risk<\/a> (a 2022 paper found\u00a0<\/a>that walking 3,800 steps a day may lower your likelihood of developing dementia by 25%, with increasing benefits up to 9,800 steps).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even when it\u2019s not directly dementia-related, movement appears to improve<\/a> memory and thinking skills.<\/p>\n

A recent paper, published in Brain Communications<\/a>, has found that 20 minutes of cycling a day can create \u201cripples\u201d in the brain that might help us to process and store information more efficiently.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How did cycling seem to affect participants\u2019 memory?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The research involved 14 participants aged from 17-50. They tracked their brain activity before and after 20-minute stationary cycling sessions through an intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG).\u00a0<\/p>\n

The iEEG measures electrical activity in the brain, which provides an added layer of detail.<\/p>\n

Previously, scientists had noticed \u201cripples\u201d<\/a> in the minds of rats, which were believed to improve their memories after exercise, though these had not been seen in humans before.<\/p>\n

But the iEEGs in this research saw similar results after the participants completed their exercise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking to Medical News Today<\/a>, study author Dr Juan Ramirez-Villegas said, \u201cRipples are very brief bursts of highly synchronised electrical activity in the brain\u2019s memory centre, the hippocampus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn animals, they are known to play a key role in stabilising memories after an experience. You can think of them as moments when the brain rapidly \u2018reviews\u2019 information, helping convert recent experiences into lasting memories.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

They might also help<\/a> to regulate blood sugar in animals, the study added.<\/p>\n

The study found that the higher someone\u2019s heart rate got during the cycling session, the stronger those \u201cripples\u201d seemed to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis suggests that the intensity of physical activity may influence how strongly the brain\u2019s memory circuits respond,\u201d stated Dr Ramirez-Villegas.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That might not be the only benefit\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Aside from the \u201cripple\u201d effect, this research also seemed to help different parts of the brain communicate better, potentially leading to improved memory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is surprising how after a session of acute exercise, hippocampal-cortical communication seems to be enhanced, a phenomenon thought to be strongly linked to memory processing,\u201d Dr Ramirez-Villegas said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis suggests that even a brief bout of physical activity can influence the neural dynamics involved in learning and memory.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Related…<\/h3>\n