@dw.science: Is running a marathon healthy? A group of researchers and frequent runners scanned their brains before and after running a marathon. Surprisingly the levels of white matter in the brain were significantly lower after the race. This suggests that the body uses the fatty substance as fuel to hit the finish line. So why does this matter? The white matter of the brain mainly consists of myelin, which coats the neurons and acts like an insulator. This helps to speed up the communication between the neurons. Without this insulation a pain signal takes much longer to reach its destination. And this is affecting the sensory and motor control of the body. But the good news is, the used-up myelin will be quickly replenished. And to regularly trigger this repair process could have a positive long-term effect for brain and body health. Author: Julia Lazarus #STEMTok #sciencetok #Science #LearnOnTikTok #dwscience #dwhealth #strava
