An intense workout of as little as 20 minutes can enhance episodic memory or long-term memory for previous events by about 10 percent in healthy young adults shown by a new Georgia Institute of Technology study. The study was just published in the Acta Psychologica journal. The participants had to lift weights once before they were tested on. The participants also had to study events both before and after exercise. The researchers took this unique approach after extensive animal testing was done suggesting the period after learning is when stress caused by exercise is to most likely benefit the memory.  The experiment began with showing the participants a series of photos such as kids on a trampoline, dead bodies, and clocks. The participants didn’t have to remember the photos but instead just look at them. They were then moved to an exercise machine that moved their legs. The participants’ blood pressure and heart rate were monitored throughout the process. The next day the participants were shown the same photos mixed with new ones. The group who exercised remembered around sixty percent of the photos and another group who didn’t exercise remembered fifty percent of the photos. The conclusion of this study is people scientifically do not have to give up large amounts of time to study and can give their brain a boost by exercising.

This study connects with psychology by manipulating the consolidation of exercising to improve memory. Most participants remembered the positive and negative images more than the neutral images such as the clock because people identify with emotional experiences after short-term stress. This study works due to specific hormonal and norepinephrine releases. This study relates to psychology because it deploys natural brain functions after exercise to increase the productivity of your brain.