Effects of a moderate intensity aerobic exercise on serum levels of BDNF, DCX, and DBHB in triathlon male adolescents

Abstract

Background: Various serum factors in response to aerobic exercise improve cognitive function in healthy individuals; nonetheless, the effect of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on their levels has not been studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the effect of a moderate intensity aerobic exercise on serum levels of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Doublecortin (DCX), and D-β-hydroxybutyrate (DBHB) in triathlon male adolescents in Tuyserkan. Materials and Methods: A total of 22 triathlon male adolescents (age: 17.60±0.52 years, weight: 60.74±4.96 kg, height: 175.60±5.52 cm) voluntarily participated in this quasi-experimental study. Subjects in one session performed 60 minutes of running with an intensity of 12-13 on the Borg scale. Blood samples were taken from the subjects 5 min before and after training. Serum levels of BDNF, DCX and DBHB were measured by ELISA. To analyze the data, paired samples t-test was used, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In addition, the percentage of changes was compared to pre-test. Results: Based on the results, the serum levels of DCX (P=0.0005), BDNF (P=0.0005), and DBHB (P=0.001) increased significantly, compared to those in the pretest. Furthermore, serum levels of BDNF (21.30%), DBHB (12.95%) and DCX (12.01%) had the highest increase, as compared to the pretest, respectively. Conclusion: All three serum factors BDNF, DCX, and DBHB have a significant positive response to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in triathlon male adolescents. Nevertheless, neurotrophin/growth factor BDNF demonstrates more changes and appears to play a greater role in neuroprotection, improving memory, learning, and cognitive function.