Abstract
Aerobic and resistance exercise (acute and chronic) independently and collectively induce beneficial responses in the brain that may influence memory function, including an increase in cerebral blood flow, neurogenesis, neuroelectrical alterations, and protein production. However, whether aerobic and resistance exercise improve memory via similar or distinct mechanisms has yet to be fully explained. Here, we review the unique influence of aerobic and resistance exercise on neural modulation, proteins, receptors, and ultimately, episodic memory. Resistance training may optimize neural communication, information processing and memory encoding by affecting the allocation of attentional resources. Moreover, resistance exercise can reduce inflammatory markers associated with neural communication while increasing peripheral and central BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) production. Aerobic training increases hippocampal levels of BDNF and TrkB (Tropomyosin receptor kinase B), protein kinases and glutamatergic proteins. Likewise, both aerobic and anaerobic exercise can increase CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) phosphorylation. Thus, we suggest that aerobic and resistance exercise may influence episodic memory via similar and, potentially, distinct mechanisms.
Highlights
Both aerobicand resistance exercise are associated with numerous health outcomes, including reduced cancer incidence, decreased cardiovascular disease, and lower mortality risk [3,4]
Results showed that improvements in maximal oxygen consumption in both the aerobic and resistance exercise groups, in addition to both the diet and combined aerobic exercise and diet groups, were associated with improved immediate episodic memory function compared to the control group
Aquino et al [32] conducted a randomized controlled trial among 28 patients (Mage = 68 years) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were randomized into a high-intensity aerobic training group or a group that engaged in both high-intensity aerobic exercise and resistance exercise
Summary
Both aerobic (physical activity that is maintained continuously, and rhythmic in nature [1]). Research demonstrates that these two behaviors independently associate with health [3,4], with evidence suggesting a potential synergistic effect of these behaviors on health [3,5] In addition to these broad health outcomes, recent work has examined the potential effects of movement-related behaviors (e.g., aerobic vs resistance) on cognitive function [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19], including memory function. The purpose of the present selective review is to briefly discuss past research evaluating independent and combined effects of acute and chronic aerobic and resistance exercise on episodic memory. Computerized searches occurred in PubMed, Google Scholar, and personal literature bases, with keywords including aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and memory (and their combinations)
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