Effects of aerobic training and following detraining on continuous attention and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in sedentary girl students

Document Type : original article

Authors

1 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

2 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, Allameh tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

3 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Purpose : Studies show that exercise has positive effects on the central nervous system and cognition. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important factor affecting cognitive function and has been recently discussed in a bulk trend of efforts in the health context. Due to the inadequate information about the effects of aerobic training and detraining period on the attention and serum’s BDNF in sedentary girls, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 4 weeks of aerobic training on continuous attention, BDNF, and probable mechanisms of this effect (i.e. Neurotrophic factors) in sedentary girls.
Methods : Twelve sedentary girls (mean age= 23.90±1.92), voluntarily participated in the study. They started their workout exercises under the aerobic protocol for four weeks. The PASAT test and blood sampling were conducted in three stages including pretest, after four weeks of training and after following four weeks of the detraining period. To analyze the data, repeated measures and Pearson's correlation coefficient were applied at a significance level of P≤0.05.
Results : The results showed that four weeks of aerobic training led to a significant increase in continuous attention (P<0.05). However, the serum BDNF levels were negatively correlated with aerobic training (P<0.05). Both of these factors were restored after following four weeks of detraining. Also, the correlation between changes in the continuous attention and expression of BDNF was not statistically significant (P=0.85).
Conclusion: Generally, the findings indicated that physical activity can improve continuous attention and adaptation of serum’s BDNF. However, these adaptations were dissipated after detraining.

Keywords


1. Davis AS, D'Amato RC. Handbook of pediatric neuropsychology: Springer Publishing Company; 2010.
2. Mirsky AF, Anthony BJ, Duncan CC, Ahearn MB, Kellam SG. Analysis of the elements of attention: A neuropsychological approach. Neuropsychol Rev. 1991; 2(2): 109-145.
3. Huey BM, Wickens CD. Workload transition: Implications for individual and team performance: NAP; 1993.
4. Ratey JJ, Loehr JE. The positive impact of physical activity on cognition during adulthood: a review of underlying mechanisms, evidence and recommendations. Rev Neuroscience. 2011; 22(2): 171-185.
5. Rezaee Z, Mohammad Marandi S, Ghaedi K, Esfarjani F. Molecular Mechanisms of Neurotrophins Actions in Diseases of Nervous System. Journal of Genetics in the 3RD Millennium. 1393; 3779-3780. [In Persian].
6. Mooren F, Völker K. Molecular and cellular exercise physiology. 2005.
7. Busse AL, Gil G, Santarém JM, Jacob Filho W. Physical activity and cognition in the elderly. Dement Neuropsychol. 2009; 3: 204-208.
8. Hillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF. Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008; 9(1): 58-65.
9. Reichardt LF. Neurotrophin-regulated signalling pathways. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 2006; 361(1473): 1545-1564.
10. Yarrow JF, White LJ, McCoy SC, Borst SE. Training augments resistance exercise induced elevation of circulating brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Neurosci Lett. 2010; 479(2): 161-165.
11. Karege F, Schwald M, Cisse M. Postnatal developmental profile of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rat brain and platelets. Neurosci Lett. 2002; 328(3): 261-264.
12. Zoladz JA, and Pilc A. The effect of physical activity on the brain derived neurotrophic factor: from animal to human studies. J Physiol Pharmacol: an official journal of the Polish physiological society. 2010; 61(5): 533-541.
13. Knaepen K, Goekint M, Heyman EM, Meeusen R. Neuroplasticity exercise-induced response of peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Sports Med. 2010; 40(9): 765-801.
14. Matthews V, Åström M-B, Chan M, Bruce C, Krabbe K, Prelovsek O, Akerström T, Yfanti C, Broholm C, Mortensen OH, Penkowa M, Hojman P, Zankari A, Watt MJ, Bruunsgaard H, Pedersen BK, Febbraio MA. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is produced by skeletal muscle cells in response to contraction and enhances fat oxidation via activation of AMP-activated protein kinase. Diabetologia. 2009; 52(7): 1409-1418.
15. Goekint M, Roelands B, De Pauw K, Knaepen K, Bos I, Meeusen R. Does a period of detraining cause a decrease in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor? Neurosci Lett. 2010; 486(3): 146-149.
16. Berchtold NC, Castello N, Cotman CW. Exercise and time-dependent benefits to learning and memory. J Neurosci. 2010; 167(3): 588-597.
17. Suwa M, Kishimoto H, Nofuji Y, Nakano H, Sasaki H, Radak Z, Kumagai S. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor level is increased and associated with obesity in newly diagnosed female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2006; 55(7): 852-857.
18. Gordon A, Zillmer E. Integrating the MMPI and Neuropsychology: A Survey of NAN Membership. Arch Clin Neuropsych. 1997; 4(12): 325-326.
19. Kurtzke JF. Historical and clinical perspectives of the expanded disability status scale. Neuroepidemiology. 2008; 31(1): 1-9.
20. Colcombe S, Kramer AF. Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults a meta-analytic study. Psychol Sci. 2003; 14(2): 125-130.
21. Hillman CH, Motl RW, Pontifex MB, Posthuma D, Stubbe JH, Boomsma DI, de Geus EJC. Physical activity and cognitive function in a cross-section of younger and older community-dwelling individuals. Health Psychol. 2006; 25(6): 678.
22. Lista I, Sorrentino G. Biological mechanisms of physical activity in preventing cognitive decline. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010; 30(4): 493-503.
23. Shayan A, Bagherzadeh F, shahbazi M. The Effect of Two Types of Exercise (Endurance and Resistance) on Attention and Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor Levels in Sedentary Students. JMLD. 1391; 6(4): 433-452. [In Persian].
24. Abedi A, Kazemi F, Shooshtari M. Investigation of effects of aerobic exercise on improving executive functions and attention of children with neuropsychological learning disabilities. JMLD. 1392; 4(2): 121-128. [In Persian].
25. Haghighi SK, Mahdavi V, Reza M, Reisi P, Alaei H. The Effects of Mid-Term Running Activity on Passive Avoidance Learning and Memory in Opioid Addicted Rats. IUMS. 1388; 27(99). [In Persian].
26. Skandarnezhad M, Shayan nasab R, Soltani R. A comparison of continuous attention in active and sedentary elderlies. J res motor behav. 1392; 1(1): 81-93. [In Persian].
27. Badre D, Poldrack RA, Paré-Blagoev EJ, Insler RZ, Wagner AD. Dissociable controlled retrieval and generalized selection mechanisms in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Neuron. 2005; 47(6): 907-918.
28. Carro E, Nuñez A, Busiguina S, Torres-Aleman I. Circulating insulin-like growth factor I mediates effects of exercise on the brain. J Neurosci. 2000; 20(8): 2926-2933.
29. Azali Alamdari K, Damirchi A, Babaei P. Effects of submaximal aerobic training and following detraining on serum BDNF level and memory function in midlife healthy untrained males. J Metabol exe. 1391; 2(2): 135-147. [In Persian].
30. Seifert T, Brassard P, Wissenberg M, Rasmussen P, Nordby P, Stallknecht B, Adser H, Jakobsen AH, Pilegaard H, Nielsen HB, Secher NH. Endurance training enhances BDNF release from the human brain. AM J Physiol-REG I. 2010; 298(2): R372-R377.
31. Castellano V, White LJ. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor response to aerobic exercise in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Sci. 2008; 269(1): 85-91.
32. Shahbazi M, Shayan A, Samadi A, Nemati Z. The effect of resistance training on memory and neurotrophic factors in sedentary students. JMLD. 1392; 7(1): 1-19. [In Persian].
33. Tsai CL, Chen FC, Pan CY, Wang CH, Huang TH, Chen TC. Impact of acute aerobic exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness on visuospatial attention performance and serum BDNF levels. Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2014; 41: 121-131.
34. Ma X, Hamadeh MJ, Christie BR, Foster JA, Tarnopolsky MA. Impact of treadmill running and sex on hippocampal neurogenesis in the mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PloS one. 2012; 7(4): e36048.
35. Vosadi E, Ravasi A, Choobine S, Barzegar H, Borjianfard M. Effect of endurance training and omega-3 supplementation in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in male adult rat hippocampus. Razi J Med Sci. 1392; 20(111): 50-57. [In Persian].
36. Swift DL, Johannsen NM, Myers VH, Earnest CP, Smits JA, Blair SN, et al. The effect of exercise training modality on serum brain derived neurotrophic factor levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. PloS one. 2012; 7(8): e42785.
37. Nofuji Y, Suwa M, Moriyama Y, Nakano H, Ichimiya A, Nishichi R, Sasaki H, Radak Z, Kumagai S. Decreased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in trained men. Neurosci Lett. 2008; 437(1): 29-32.
38. Ramsbottom R, Currie J, Gilder M. Relationships between components of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiac autonomic health, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. J SPORT SCI. 2010; 28(8): 843-849.
39. Fujimura, Hironobu, C. Anthony Altar, Ruoyan Chen, Takashi Nakamura, Takeshi Nakahashi, Jun-ichi Kambayashi, Bing Sun, and Narendra N. Tandon. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is stored in human platelets and released by agonist stimulation. JTH. 2002; 87(4): 728-734.
40. Carmeli E, Laviam G, Reznick A. The role of antioxidant nutrition in exercise and aging. Free radicals in exercise and aging Champaign: J Hum Kinet; 2000: 73-115.
41. Liu JF, Chang WY, Chan KH, WY Tsai, Lin CL, Hsu MC. Blood lipid peroxides and muscle damage increased following intensive resistance training of female weightlifters. ANN NY ACAD SCI. 2005; 1042(1): 255-261.
42. Gómez‐Pinilla F, Ying Z, Opazo P, Roy R, Edgerton V. Differential regulation by exercise of BDNF and NT‐3 in rat spinal cord and skeletal muscle. EUR J Neurosci. 2001; 13(6): 1078-1084.
43. Whiteman AS, Young DE, He X, Chen TC, Wagenaar RC, Stern CE, Schon K. Interaction between serum BDNF and aerobic fitness predicts recognition memory in healthy young adults. Behav Brain RES. 2014; 259: 302-312.
44. Mojtahedi S, Shabkhiz F , Akbarnejad A, Salehian O. Effect of 8 weeks Resistance Training on BDNF and TrkB in the Hippocampus of Adult Male Rats. Journal of Armaghane-Danesh. 1392, 19(5): 380-389. [In Persian].
45. Geroldi D, Minoretti P, Emanuele E. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the metabolic syndrome: more than just a hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2006; 67(1): 195, 196.
46. Komulainen P, Pedersen M, Hänninen T, Bruunsgaard H, Lakka TA, Kivipelto M, et al. BDNF is a novel marker of cognitive function in ageing women: the DR’s EXTRA Study. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2008; 90(4): 596-603.
47. Ploughman M. Exercise is brain food: the effects of physical activity on cognitive function. Dev Neurorehabil. 2008; 11(3): 236-240.
48. Ferris LT, Williams JS, Shen CL. The effect of acute exercise on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and cognitive function. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007; 39(4): 728-734.
49. Sibley BA, Etnier JL. The relationship between physical activity and cognition in children: a meta-analysis. Pediatr Exerc SCI. 2003; 15(3): 243-256.
  • Receive Date: 13 September 2016
  • Revise Date: 17 October 2021
  • Accept Date: 31 December 2020
  • First Publish Date: 31 December 2020
  • Publish Date: 21 January 2019