Gourgouvelis Joanne, Yielder Paul, Clarke Sandra T, Behbahani Hushyar, Murphy Bernadette
Department of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
Department of Health Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
PeerJ. 2018 Apr 19;6:e4675. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4675. eCollection 2018.
The 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.
A 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.
Results showed exercise improved cardiorespiratory fitness ( = 0.044, = 1.48) with no improvements in cognitive function or no changes in plasma BDNF and CTHB concentrations.
We 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.
运动对衰老人群和精神疾病患者大脑健康的益处已广为人知。然而，年轻健康成年人的习惯性运动与大脑健康之间的关系仍不明确。本研究探讨了为期八周的运动处方对年轻健康成年人认知功能、脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）和组织蛋白酶B（CTHB）的影响。
从当地一所大学招募了22名低运动量的年轻健康成年人。其中12名参与者进行了为期八周的运动处方，另外12名参与者作为对照。在基线和八周时测量认知评估、心肺适能以及血浆BDNF和CTHB浓度。
结果显示运动改善了心肺适能（P = 0.044，效应量 = 1.48），但认知功能没有改善，血浆BDNF和CTHB浓度也没有变化。
我们提供的证据表明，短期的适度运动并不能改善年轻健康成年人的认知功能或改变血浆生化标志物浓度，尽管心肺适能有轻微改善。这些结果表明，认知健康可能在成年早期达到峰值，在整个成年期几乎没有改善空间。
