Effects of acute aerobic exercise on a task‐switching protocol and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor concentrations in young adults with different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness

Abstract

New Findings r What is the central question of this study?Neurocognitive functions can be enhanced by acute aerobic exercise, which could be associated with changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations. We aimed to explore acute exercise-induced changes in BDNF concentrations, neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances when individuals with different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness performed a cognitive task. r What is the main finding and its importance?Only young adults with higher cardiorespiratory fitness could attain switching cost and neurophysiological benefits via acute aerobic exercise. The mechanisms might be fitness dependent. Although acute aerobic exercise could enhance serum BDNF concentrations, changes in peripheral BDNF concentrations could not be the potential factor involved in the beneficial effects on neurocognitive performance. This study investigated the effects of acute aerobic exercise on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances in young adults with different cardiorespiratory fitness levels when performing a task-switching protocol and explored the potential associations between acute aerobic exercise-induced changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations and various neurocognitive outcomes. Sixty young adults were categorized into one control group (i.e. non-exercise-intervention; n = 20) and two exercise-intervention (EI) groups [i.e. higher (EI H , n = 20) and lower (EI L , n = 20) cardiorespiratory fitness] according to their maximal oxygen consumption. At baseline and after either an acute bout of 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or a control period, the neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances and serum BDNF concentrations were measured when the participants performed a task-switching protocol involving executive control and greater demands on working memory. The results revealed that although acute aerobic exercise decreased reaction times across three (i.e. pure, switching and non-switching) conditions in both EI groups, only the EI H group showed a smaller switching cost and larger P3 amplitudes after acute exercise, supporting the view that the mechanisms of neural functioning that underlie the effects of such exercise may be fitness dependent. In addition, serum BDNF concentrations were elevated after acute exercise for both EI groups, but there were no significant correlations between the changes in BDNF concentrations and changes in neuropsychological and neurophysiological 837 Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and acute aerobic exercise performances for either group, suggesting that serum BDNF could not be the potential factor involved in the beneficial effects on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances seen in young adults after acute aerobic exercise.

Time-Dependent Effects of Acute Exercise on University Students’ Cognitive Performance in Temperate and Cold Environments

“…Although reaction speed and accuracy in Set-Shifting Task showed a general increase throughout the experimental sessions, the present study failed to detect a facilitating effect of acute exercise on cognitive flexibility, which is in line with two previous studies in which young adult participants exercised at moderate intensity (Coles and Tomporowski, 2008; Wang et al, 2015) but is inconsistent with studies employing high intensity exercise protocol that indicated improvements (Barenberg et al, 2015; Berse et al, 2015; Tsai et al, 2016). Results from the current study may contribute to the previous hypothesis that exercise intensity is the potential mediators.…”

“…Two studies that failed to find facilitating effects used similar moderate ergometer cycling protocol and found improvements in set-shifting in both exercise and control group (Coles and Tomporowski, 2008; Wang et al, 2015), while studies implemented high intensity exercise showed positive effects following exercise, compared to control group (Barenberg et al, 2015; Berse et al, 2015), indicating that exercise intensity might be a crucial moderator. However, a recent study also found a facilitating effect in young adults with high fitness level using moderate exercise protocol (Tsai et al, 2016). Thus, the evidence of acute exercise effects on cognitive flexibility is still inconclusive.…”

Neurocognitive performances of visuospatial attention and the correlations with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in adults with obesity

“…In addition, given that cardiorespiratory fitness is known to be associated with neurocognitive function (Tsai et al . , ; Wang et al . ), if the main effects were obtained, the neuropsychological (e.g.…”

Inter-organ regulation of adipose tissue browning

“…Moreover, hypothalamic BDNF also regulates VEGF signaling in retroperitoneal WAT that is required for angiogenesis and browning induced by diverse physiological and pharmacological approaches (During et al, 2015). Although growing evidence demonstrates that acute exercise induces a significant increase in the BDNF level, which might benefit brain cognition, it has yet to be determined whether exercise-induced BDNF has effects on browning of WAT (Etnier et al, 2016; Ieraci et al, 2016; Tsai et al, 2016). …”