Saddleback Journal of Biology - Saddleback College

Fall 2009 Biology 3B Paper
120
Blood Glucose level (mg/dL)
100
80
60
40
20
0
Glucose 1 Glucose 2 Glucose 3 Glucose 4
Figure 2: There was no difference in average blood glucose levels between all four glucose tests. An ANOVA test
revealed that there was no significance in the differences between the glucose levels (p=0.417).
Discussion
The overall outcome shows that exercising
before a task that requires concentration and
memorization will indeed increase the memory
capacity of the participating subject. There was a
significant difference between the pre-exercise memory
test and the post-exercise memory test (Figure 1). This
conclusion came from extensive study on the effects of
exercise on memorization in participants.
Blood glucose levels in participants did not
significantly change throughout the experiment at the
four glucose test points (Figure 2). These results
conflict with those found by Wahren, Felig and
Ahlborg, which stated that blood glucose levels
increase significantly after strenuous exercise (1974).
This could be due to the production of epinephrine that
occurs with stress, which is delivered through exercise.
The epinephrine causes the heart to pump faster
allowing blood to travel at a faster rate throughout the
body. Thus, causing blood to reach the brain at a faster
rate. In 1998, Korol and Gold found that memory can
be enhanced through the release of epinephrine. Since
the subjects being tested fit in to this category, this
could explain the findings. The increase of memory
could have also been attributed to the dilation of blood
vessels that occurs with exercise, allowing more blood
and oxygen to reach the brain.
There is no evidence from this study that
supports the connection between blood glucose and
memorization. However, the study suggests that
exercise increases memorization, as there was an
overall improvement in the memory of the subjects
after exercise. Based on the significance shown in this
study of an increase in short-term memory due to
exercise, this is an area that would greatly benefit from
further research.
Acknowledgements
The investigators in this study would like to
acknowledge Dee Conger Jr. for his donation of a
Bayer One Touch Glucose Monitor, test strips, and
lancets. They would also like to acknowledge the
Astarabadi’s for use of their treadmill, and Pavilions
Pharmacy for donation of test strips and alcohol wipes.
Finally, the investigators would like to thank the
participants of the study for their time and patience.
Literature Cited
Benton, David and Owens, Sarah S. 1993. Blood
glucose and human memory. Psychopharmacology
113:p. 83-88.
Colombani, P; Wenk, C; Kunz, I; Krahenbuhl, S and
Kuhnt, M. Arnold, M. Frey-Rindova, P. Frey, W.
Langhans, W. 1996. Effects of L-carnitine
supplementation on physical performance and energy
metabolism of endurance-trained athletes: a double
blind crossover field study. European Journal of
Applied Physiology73: p. 434-439.
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Saddleback Journal of Biology
Spring 2010