---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It turns out that moving our muscles…"
description: "\"It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play pivotal roles in the mec..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/john-ratey-50109_brain_it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-pro_110905.png"
---

#  It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins…

![“It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play pivotal roles in the mechanisms of our highest thought processes.” quote by John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/john-ratey-50109_brain_it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-pro_110905.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/john-ratey-50109_brain_it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-pro_110905.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/john-ratey-50109_brain_it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-pro_110905.png)

> “It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play pivotal roles in the mechanisms of our highest thought processes.”

[John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Physical activity releases muscle‑derived proteins that travel to the brain, influencing neurochemical pathways that support complex cognition.

**In simple terms:** Exercise fuels brain chemistry for thinking.

Key Takeaway

Movement boosts cognitive proteins.

Themes

neuroscience exercise physiology cognition biology

Mood

enthusiastic informative

Type

scientific insight health recommendation

When to use this quote

- Academic performance
- Workplace productivity
- Aging and memory health

Key Concepts

neurotrophic factors brain‑body signaling

Practical Applications

- Integrate regular movement breaks in study/work routines
- Design exercise programs for cognitive enhancement

Questions to Reflect On

- Which exercises most effectively trigger beneficial proteins?
- How long must activity persist for cognitive benefits?

A Different Perspective

Individual response varies; not all proteins have proven cognitive impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Protein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protein/) [Thought process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-process/)

## Related quotes

> [Fast movement during exercise does not produce fast muscles, or strong muscles, or large muscles, it produces only one thing, a thing to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jones/fast-movement-during-exercise-does-not-produce-fast-muscles-or-strong/)

[Arthur Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jones/)

> [I have a nationally distributed film whose pivotal scene is the ultrasound-guided abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/i-have-a-nationally-distributed-film-whose-pivotal-scene-is-the/)

[Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/)

> [Suffrage is the pivotal right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/suffrage-is-the-pivotal-right/)

[Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/)

> [Primal Scream's 'Screamadelica' was one of the pivotal records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/primal-scream-s-screamadelica-was-one-of-the-pivotal-records/)

[Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/)

> [I have the 'thing' worked out - the trick or the surprise or the pivotal fact. Then I just start somewhere and let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/i-have-the-thing-worked-out-the-trick-or-the-surprise-or-the-pivotal/)

[Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/)

> [ Israel is extraordinary blessed to have \[Benjamin Netanyahu\] as prime minister at this pivotal time in history and so is the United States of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-dobbs/israel-is-extraordinary-blessed-to-have-benjamin-netanyahu-as-prime/)

[Lou Dobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-dobbs/)

> [As with anything in life, when you have certain experiences at pivotal times, they shape you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-cassidy/as-with-anything-in-life-when-you-have-certain-experiences-at-pivotal/)

[Elaine Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-cassidy/)

> [The death of Jesus is the pivotal event of human history and everything needs to be understood in light of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/the-death-of-jesus-is-the-pivotal-event-of-human-history-and/)

[Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/)

> [I think more to the point, these pivotal times means something other than a politician. I understand the economy. I understand the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-think-more-to-the-point-these-pivotal-times-means-something-other/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore got more votes than George W. Bush, but still lost the election. The Supreme Court's ruling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/in-the-2000-presidential-election-al-gore-got-more-votes-than-george/)

[Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/)

> [I love scoring. Putting music to picture is a rewarding challenge and one that relies on interpretation of emotion - as in, what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-love-scoring-putting-music-to-picture-is-a-rewarding-challenge-and/)

[Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/)

> [A proactive person needs no pressure to perform and an ineffective person offloads his pressure onto others to deform the positive work culture of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/a-proactive-person-needs-no-pressure-to-perform-and-an-ineffective/)

[Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/)

> [A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery-th e strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/a-pivotal-spiritual-attribute-is-that-of-self-mastery-th-e-strength/)

[Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/)

> [I look back, now, and I know that the naming moment, which seemed so insignificant then, which seemed to demand no more than an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-look-back-now-and-i-know-that-the-naming-moment-which-seemed-so/)

[Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/)

> [My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/my-mom-taught-me-the-power-of-love-i-learned-to-focus-on-the-long/)

[Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/)

## More by John Ratey

> [Exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/exercise-is-really-for-the-brain-not-the-body-it-affects-mood/)

[John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

> [Even 10 minutes of activity changes your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/even-10-minutes-of-activity-changes-your-brain/)

[John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

> [We can know ourselves only because we can remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/we-can-know-ourselves-only-because-we-can-remember/)

[John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

> [Exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function…exercise has a profound impact on cognitive abilities and mental health.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/exercise-is-the-single-most-powerful-tool-you-have-to-optimize-your/)

[John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

> [Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/exercise-is-the-single-best-thing-you-can-do-for-your-brain-in-terms/)

[John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

> [If you had half an hour of exercise this morning, you're in the right frame of mind to sit still and focus on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/if-you-had-half-an-hour-of-exercise-this-morning-you-re-in-the-right/)

[John Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

[Explore all 7 John Ratey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/)

## More Brain quotes

> [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/)

[Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/)

> [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/)

[Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/)

> [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/)

[Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/)

> [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/)

[Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/)

> [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/)

[Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/)

> [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/)

[Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/)

> [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

> [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/)

[Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/)

> [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/)

[Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/)

[Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play pivotal roles in the mechanisms of our highest thought processes.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Ratey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-produces-proteins-that-travel/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Brain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-produces-proteins-that-travel/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/john-ratey-50109_brain_it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-pro_110905.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/john-ratey-50109_brain_it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-pro_110905.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/john-ratey-50109_brain_it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-pro_110905.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the…” — John Ratey",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Ratey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It turns out that moving our...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-produces-proteins-that-travel/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratey/it-turns-out-that-moving-our-muscles-produces-proteins-that-travel/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
