You Can’t Out-Run a Bad Diet…Right?

You May Have Heard: You can’t out-exercise poor nutrition. While health and fitness pros would generally agree with that statement, new research suggests there is one arena in which exercising does “undo” the negative effects of a poor diet: mental health. 

The Study: Researchers at University College Cork discovered that voluntary running may reduce behaviors associated with depression and anxiety. Rats who were fed a high-fat, high-sugar processed diet exhibited significantly altered gut metabolism, which is associated with negative impacts to mood and cognitive function. But when those rats ran voluntarily, the exercise helped restore metabolites associated with better mental health and stabilized hormones such as insulin and leptin. 

The Takeaway: It’s become increasingly clear that ultra-processed foods have a profound impact on cognitive function, and that includes memory, mood, and energy. What happened in the rats is linked to the gut-brain axis, or the relationship between our digestive microbiomes and our brains. On the flip side, eating a diet high in whole foods is associated with a healthy microbiome and better mental health.

Keep In Mind: This study was performed on rats, not humans, and exclusively male rats at that. It’s unclear if these results will translate to human behaviors, let alone across both sexes — so it’s worth playing it safe and keeping your diet clean.