Abstract
Background: Physical exercise has been linked to beneficial effects on brain plasticity. One potential key mechanism for this relationship is an exercise-induced increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). However, the kinetics of BDNF in athletes during training phase, extreme exercise competition, and recovery period have not been investigated so far.Methods: We assessed serum BDNF concentrations in 51 marathon runners (23% female, mean age 43 years) in a longitudinal study design over a period of 6 months. Assessments were conducted during the training period before the marathon and after the marathon race during short-term (24 to 72 h) and long-term (3 months) follow-ups. Potential confounders (fitness level, sex, and platelet count) were included in subsequent linear-model analyses.Results: Linear mixed-model analyses revealed a main effect of time for BDNF concentrations over the study period (F(4,89.389) = 4.296, p = 0.003). Values decreased significantly with the lowest values at 72 h after the marathon compared to baseline (p = 0.025), a finding that was more pronounced in the larger male cohort.Conclusion: Prolonged exercise induces a significant decrease in serum BDNF concentration 72 h post-exercise. We assume that this observation is mainly driven by regenerative mechanisms and a higher muscular utilization.
Highlights
Numerous animal and human studies have demonstrated positive effects of exercise on various dimensions of brain plasticity (Roig et al, 2013; Northey et al, 2018; Stern et al, 2019)
Complete data sets of six visits with Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were obtained in 51 participants [male/female = 42:9, mean age 42.7 ± 10.2 y, mean body mass index (BMI) = 23.4 ± 2.5 kg/m2, mean blood pressure systolic/diastolic at baseline (V-1) = 122.8/80.7 ± 11.3/6.4 mmHg, mean International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) at baseline (V-1) = 6299.8 ± 6040.7, mean training kilometers/week at V-1 = 42.3 ± 21.6, mean number of prior marathon events = 2.1 ± 5.1, mean marathon finishing time female/male = 264.7 ± 48.0/231.1 ± 31.4 min, and mean IPAQ at last visit (V3) = 5038.7 ± 5857.5]
We evaluated serum BDNF kinetics including a short-term follow-up period of 24 to 72 h after marathon running and we could demonstrate a significant decline of BDNF both in the analysis including all visits and in the sensitivity analysis with the visits 0, 2.1 and 2.2
Summary
Numerous animal and human studies have demonstrated positive effects of exercise on various dimensions of brain plasticity (Roig et al, 2013; Northey et al, 2018; Stern et al, 2019). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in neural plasticity mechanisms such as in an increased neuronal growth, improved synaptogenesis, and neuronal survival (Tolwani et al, 2002). The exercise-dependent release of BDNF has been discussed to be one of the key mechanisms linking the exercise effects and improved cognition in rodents and humans (Hamilton and Rhodes, 2015; Szuhany et al, 2015). Human studies have indicated a close relationship between peripheral BDNF plasma and serum concentrations and central effects (e.g., reduced plasma and serum concentrations in patients with depressive disorders and bipolar disorders that returned to baseline after treatment; Polyakova et al, 2015). One potential key mechanism for this relationship is an exercise-induced increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The kinetics of BDNF in athletes during training phase, extreme exercise competition, and recovery period have not been investigated so far
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