Can strength training increase IQ?

There is currently no clear academic evidence to prove that strength training can directly improve IQ test values, but insisting on regular strength training can indeed help you bring out your original IQ level, and the positive effect on cognitive ability is real.

I have been practicing strength training myself for almost 4 years. I have been curious about this issue before. After reading many studies in the field, I found that there are quite a lot of controversies in the academic community. Some scholars believe that the two are completely unrelated. IQ itself is a relatively stable value and will not fluctuate significantly except for pathological changes in adulthood. The feeling of "getting smarter" brought by strength training is essentially an indirect effect - for example, after regular training, sleep quality improves, cortisol levels decrease, and the lack of blood supply to the brain caused by sitting for a long time is also improved. I used to be groggy every day and my brain can't move. Now that my condition is better, I naturally appear to react quickly and think clearly, which has nothing to do with the increase in IQ itself.

There are also long-term follow-up cohort studies that have given different conclusions. Last year, I saw a follow-up survey of 1,200 middle-aged and elderly people over 55 years old. The elderly who insisted on moderate-intensity strength training more than two times a week had a fluid intelligence test score 3 years later that was about 7% higher than the control group who did not exercise at all. The researchers' explanation is that during strength training, it is necessary to constantly control body stability, memorize action patterns, and coordinate muscle force. These stimulations will promote the brain to secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is equivalent to "fertilizing" neural connections. In the long term, neuroplasticity becomes stronger, which can not only delay cognitive decline, but also have positive gains in ordinary people's working memory and executive functions. These abilities are originally core components of IQ tests.

I have a friend who is a product manager. He used to work 999 every day, and he often got distracted during demand meetings. The logic of the plan was full of loopholes. Last year, he asked me to do leg and back exercises together, 3 times a week. After practicing for half a year, he said that now he can hold meetings for 3 hours without being confused. Before, he couldn't figure it out for a long time. business logic, he can quickly grasp the key points now. He always jokes that he "raised his IQ by playing with iron." In fact, to put it bluntly, his body has been in a sub-healthy state for a long time, and his brain power has been hindered. Training has improved his physical condition, and his original IQ level has finally been able to function normally.

Of course, don’t have too high expectations for “increasing your IQ” from strength training. You can’t expect to go from an average IQ to a genius by practicing a few sets of bench presses every day. After all, the background of your IQ is determined by genetics and early growth experiences. The role of strength training is more like “daily maintenance” for your brain, helping you clear away the negative factors that affect your mental performance, so that you can maintain a clear mind when you are old. This is actually much more useful than “temporarily increasing your IQ by a few points.”