Can Physical Activity Support the Endocannabinoid System in the Preventive and Therapeutic Approach to Neurological Disorders?

Abstract

The worldwide prevalence of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, such as depression or Alzheimer’s disease, has spread extensively throughout the last decades, becoming an enormous health issue. Numerous data indicate a distinct correlation between the altered endocannabinoid signaling and different aspects of brain physiology, such as memory or neurogenesis. Moreover, the endocannabinoid system is widely regarded as a crucial factor in the development of neuropathologies. Thus, targeting those disorders via synthetic cannabinoids, as well as phytocannabinoids, becomes a widespread research issue. Over the last decade, the endocannabinoid system has been extensively studied for its correlation with physical activity. Recent data showed that physical activity correlates with elevated endocannabinoid serum concentrations and increased cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) expression in the brain, which results in positive neurological effects including antidepressant effect, ameliorated memory, neuroplasticity development, and reduced neuroinflammation. However, none of the prior reviews presented a comprehensive correlation between physical activity, the endocannabinoid system, and neuropathologies. Thus, our review provides a current state of knowledge of the endocannabinoid system, its action in physical activity, as well as neuropathologies and a possible correlation between all those fields. We believe that this might contribute to finding a new preventive and therapeutic approach to both neurological and neurodegenerative disorders.

COVID-19 and Physical Activity Behaviour in People with Neurological Diseases: A Systematic Review

“…It has been well-known that individuals with chronic neurological conditions need regular rehabilitation, and adequate physical activity is critical for their health status (Abbruzzese et al, 2016 ; Belagaje, 2017 ; Block et al, 2016 ; Charytoniuk et al, 2020 ; Ellis & Motl, 2013 ; Learmonth & Motl, 2016 ). In the literature, some reports state that neurorehabilitation should not be delayed or interrupted during the pandemic period, which will shape the lifestyle until the treatment becomes available (Leocani et al, 2020 ; Manto et al, 2020 ; Mantovani et al, 2020 ; C. C. Wang, Chao, et al, 2020 ; Wang, Baker, et al, 2020 ).…”

Exercise Training Improves Memory Performance in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Evidence and Possible Mechanisms

“…Several studies showed that, both acute physical activity (Brellenthin et al, 2017) and regular aerobic exercise, raise endocannabinoid (EC) levels in healthy adults and animal models (Alkadhi, 2018), and elevated plasma levels of EC are potentially associated with long-term beneficial effects on memory and neural plasticity in healthy or adults with major depressive disorders (Coccaro et al, 2018;Stone et al, 2018;Meyer et al, 2019). Moreover, EC reduce anxiety, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and brain amyloid-beta deposition (Charytoniuk et al, 2020).…”

“…Not only the intensity of physical activity determines the alteration of EC in healthy adults (Feuerecker et al, 2012), but also the duration and subjects characteristics are important as well (Charytoniuk et al, 2020). Some studies showed that chronic exercises might be associated with the upregulation of EC receptor (CB1R) in the hippocampus of mice (Ferreira-Vieira et al, 2014;Brellenthin and Koltyn, 2016).…”

The Endocannabinoid System and Physical Activity—A Robust Duo in the Novel Therapeutic Approach against Metabolic Disorders

“…It constitutes a major pillar in the treatment of metabolic disorders next to the proper diet, pharmacotherapy, chemoprevention, and in the most severe cases, bariatric interventions [ 88 ]. What is more, it affects human mental health, leading to mood, perception, concentration, and creativity improvement as well as producing a very interesting phenomenon called “runner’s high” [ 89 ]. Despite widely known positive effects in the therapy of various diseases, the exact molecular mechanisms induced by PA are still a subject of discussion.…”