02/08/2010 - 12:00am

Super Bowl Brain

The Super Bowl conjures images of rabid sports fans, a day of sitting in front of the television and eating unhealthy snacks, a fun time with family and friends- but it’s generally not considered a day that has any redeeming qualities for our brain fitness.

However, a 2008 study from the University of Chicago shows that there is some evidence that being a sports fan actually can improve brain function. The research showed for the first time that a region of the brain usually associated with planning and controlling actions is activated when players and fans listen to conversations about their sport.

Sian Beilock, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Chicago and an author of the research report explains, “We show that non-language related activities, such as playing or watching a sport, enhance one's ability to understand language about their sport precisely because brain areas normally used to act become highly involved in language understanding. Experience playing and watching sports has enduring effects on language understanding by changing the neural networks that support comprehension to incorporate areas active in performing sports skills."

Before we get too carried away and drop our books for our sports watching, it’s important to remember that the best way to keep our brains sharp is to look for new experiences and challenges. Once something becomes routine, our brains don’t sufficiently engage.

So football fans, to supplement the time you spend watching sports, try reading a book about a new topic or playing a new game to help keep your mental fitness. Even better, take 20 minutes during half-time to do some brain training exercise. Your brain will thank you for it, and you’ll enjoy many more Super Bowls to come with a sharp mind that still is smarter than that of the referee.

References:
University of Chicago (2008, September 3). Playing, And Even Watching, Sports Improves Brain Function. ScienceDaily. Retrieved
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080901205631.htm
University of Chicago (July 10, 2008) Sports Experience changes the neural Processing of action language, Sian L. Beilock, Ian M.Lyons, Andrew Mattarella-Mike, Howard C. Nusbaum and Steve L. Small
http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/08/pdf/080902.Beilock_Sports_Exper...