Abstract
ObjectiveThe benefits of exercise on brain health is well known in aging and psychiatric populations. However, the relationship between habitual exercise in young and healthy adults remains unclear. This study explored the effects an eight-week exercise prescription on cognitive function, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cathepsin B (CTHB) in young and healthy adults.MethodsA total of 22 low-active, young and healthy adults were recruited from a local university. A total of 12 participants performed an eight-week exercise prescription and 12 participants served as controls. Cognitive assessments, cardiorespiratory fitness and plasma BDNF and CTHB concentrations were measured at baseline and eight weeks.ResultsResults showed exercise improved cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.044, d = 1.48) with no improvements in cognitive function or no changes in plasma BDNF and CTHB concentrations.ConclusionWe provide evidence that a short-term course of moderate exercise does not improve cognitive function or change plasma biochemical markers concentrations in young and healthy adults, despite mild improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness. These results suggest that cognitive health may peak during early adulthood leaving little room for improvement throughout this period of the lifespan.
Highlights
Research has consistently demonstrated the health benefits of habitual exercise
We investigated whether changes in cognitive function were linked to changes in plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cathepsin B (CTHB) concentrations
The control group showed a significantly higher mean VO2max than the exercise group, t(19) = 3.29, p = 0.004, all participants met the Poor Health Benefit Rating Zone for cardiorespiratory fitness criteria based on the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology guidelines (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, 1998)
Summary
Research has consistently demonstrated the health benefits of habitual exercise. has exercise been shown to prevent disease, but exercise is considered an effective treatment for several medical conditions (Naci & Ioannidis, 2013; Pedersen & Saltin, 2006). Considerable attention has focused on the positive effects of exercise on brain structure and function. Exercise improves memory (Erickson et al, 2011; Voss et al, 2013), executive function (Voss et al, 2010), attention (Salthouse & Davis, 2006) and decreases cognitive processing speed (Salthouse & Davis, 2006). Exercise has shown to be effective in treating mental health disorders such as anxiety (Herring, O’Connor & Dishman, 2010), depression (Blumenthal et al, 1999; Stathopoulou et al, 2006) and schizophrenia (Stathopoulou et al, 2006). Complementing human findings, the rodent literature has shown exercise to upregulate adult neurogenesis (van Praag, Kempermann & Gage, 1999), increase neuronal survival (Kobilo et al, 2011), enhance dendritic growth (Leggio et al, 2005), increase dendritic spine density (Eadie, Redila & Christie, 2005), enhance synaptic plasticity (Farmer et al, 2004), induce angiogenesis (Swain et al, 2003), enhance learning (van Praag et al, 2005) and improve memory (Marlatt et al, 2012)
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