A great article by some people I know over at World Fitness Network on “muscle memory” – well worth the read:
http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/2009/02/muscle-memory-can-muscles-actually-remember/
Trevor
Can human beings rev up their intelligence quotients, or are they stuck with IQs set by their genes at birth? Until recently, nature seemed to be the clear winner over nurture.
But new research, led by Swiss postdoctoral fellows Susanne M. Jaeggi and Martin Buschkuehl, working at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, suggests that at least one aspect of a person’s IQ can be improved by training a certain type of memory.
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See for yourself by trying Trevor Ponder’s training programs:
http://www.memoryonfire.com – audio book
http://www.elementsofmemory.com – PDF book
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Most IQ tests attempt to measure two types of
intelligence–crystallized and fluid intelligence. Crystallized
intelligence draws on existing skills, knowledge and experiences to
solve problems by accessing information from long-term memory.
Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, draws on the ability to
understand relationships between various concepts, independent of
any previous knowledge or skills, to solve new problems. The
research shows that this part of intelligence can be improved
through memory training.
“When it comes to improving intelligence, many researchers have
thought it was not possible,” says Jaeggi. “Our findings clearly
show this is not the case. Our brain is more plastic than we might
think.”
Jaeggi, Buschkuehl and Walter Perrig from Bern University,
Switzerland, along with Jon Jonides, their National Science
Foundation-supported colleague from the University of Michigan,
reasoned that just as crystallized intelligence relies on long-term
memory, fluid intelligence relies on short-term memory, or “working
memory,” as it is more accurately called. This is the same type of
memory people use to remember a phone number or an e-mail address
for a short time, but beyond that, working memory refers to the
ability to both manipulate and use information briefly stored in
the mind in the face of distraction.
Researchers gathered four groups of volunteers and trained their
working memories using a complex training task called “dual n-back
training,” which presented both auditory and visual cues that
participants had to temporarily store and recall.
Participants received the training during a half hour session held
once a day for either eight, 12, 17 or 19 days. For each of these
training periods, researchers tested participants’ gains in fluid
intelligence. They compared the results against those of control
groups to be sure the volunteers actually improved their fluid
intelligence, not merely their test-taking skills.
The results were surprising. While the control groups made gains,
presumably because they had practice with the fluid intelligence
tests, the trained groups improved considerably more than the
control groups. Further, the longer the participants trained, the
larger were their intelligence gains.
“Our findings clearly show that training on certain memory tasks
transfer to fluid intelligence,” says Jaeggi. “We also find that
individuals with lower fluid intelligence scores at pre-test could
profit from the training.”
The results are significant because improved fluid intelligence
scores could translate into improved general intelligence as
measured by IQ tests. General intelligence is a key to determining
life outcomes such as academic success, job performance and
occupational advancement.
Researchers also surmise that this same type of memory training may
help children with developmental problems and older adults who face
memory decline. But, that remains to be seen, because the test
results are based on assessments of young, healthy adult
participants.
“Even though it currently appears very hard to improve these
conditions, there might be some memory training related to
intelligence that actually helps,” says Jaeggi. “The saying ‘use it
or lose it’ is probably appropriate here.”
via the NSF
Researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts released results this month that might interest you. So let me see if I can walk you through their study.
Their study seemed to have a really small sample size – only 19 women. The women had the same body-mass index (BMI). Another “flaw” – the study was only measured over 3 weeks.
About half the women went on a week of no-carb, the other half on low-carb. They found that the no-carb group performed worse on short-term memory tests (such as remembering number sequences). But introducing even 5 grams of carbs a day reversed the decline.
Here’s the explanation. The brain uses glucose (sugar) as it’s main fuel. Since your body breaks carbohydrates into sugars like glucose, your brain won’t get what it needs without carbs. That makes logical sense, but to be honest, I’m not sure this study “proves” it.
What you want, if you are trying to go low carb, is to trigger ketosis (where your body burns fat for fuel). But don’t cut out all carbs.
Bottom Line: Low carb diets, especially in the initial stages where they are basically “no carb” diets, end up starving your brain. So the key is you need some carbs, even in a low-carb diet.
Check out Memory On Fire!
