Scientists have come up with proof that too much thinking can be exhausting. The brain requires glucose to function, so researchers looked at the glucose levels of the brains of old and young rats while they negotiated their way through a maze. They found that concentrating rats lose glucose from a key part of the brain. Older rats lost more glucose and took longer to recover.

Scientists discovered that the glucose level in younger rats fell by about 12 percent and recovered quickly, but older rats lost glucose by 48 percent and it took a full 30 minutes for those levels to come back. This could have some importance for humans. According to scientists these findings may have important implications for the way schools schedule classes and meals are set. The research gives a whole new way of looking at aging and thinking.

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