The Neuroscience of Being Human

The Neuroscience of Cycling

Neurogenesis, rhythmic pedalling, route-finding and the endocannabinoid system: why aerobic cycling rebuilds the brain, produces the runner's high without the impact, and turns transport into therapy

The Neuroscience of Cycling

2,426-word article with 25 Harvard references.

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Cycling is not simply a way of getting from one place to another. It is a sustained aerobic event that grows new neurons, floods the brain with mood-regulating neurochemicals, sharpens the spatial mapping systems of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, and engages a rhythmic motor pattern that quietens the ruminating mind. This fully referenced article explores why cyclists describe riding as clarifying, restorative and quietly addictive, what the neuroscience reveals about aerobic neurogenesis and the endocannabinoid system, and why the bicycle may be the most reliably brain-nourishing machine ever invented, delivering the neurochemistry of the runner's high while sparing the joints the punishment of impact.

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