A study involving 54 adults aged 18 to 35 found that both a 20-minute exercise session and a 90-minute nap improved memory performance after 30 hours of sleep deprivation, according to researchers. The participants were divided into three groups: one cycled at moderate to vigorous intensity for 20 minutes, one napped for 90 minutes, and one sat on a stationary bike without pedaling as a control. After the interventions, all participants viewed a set of images, and three days later, they took a surprise memory test on those images.
The exercise group and the nap group each correctly identified more images than the control group that did neither, the report stated. The average scores of the exercise and nap groups were close enough to be considered statistically equivalent. Investigators said the findings demonstrate neural degeneracy, the brain’s ability to achieve the same outcome through different mechanisms or pathways.
Read Full Article: https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-09-09-study-exercise-naps-aid-memory-after-sleep-loss.html
