title: Cardio-respiratory fitness, habitual physical activity and serum brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in men and women.
abstract: Short episodes of high intensity exercise transiently increase serum levels of BDNF in humans, but serum levels of BDNF at rest appear to be lower in more physically active humans with greater levels of energy expenditure. The relationship between serum BDNF concentration, cardio-respiratory fitness (Astrand-Rhyming test estimated VO2 max) and volume of long-term, regular exercise and sporting activity (Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Index) was investigated in 44 men and women between the age range of 18-57 years. In this group an inverse relationship between resting serum BDNF concentration and measures of both estimated VO2 max (r=-0.352; P<0.05) and long-term sporting activity (r=-0.428, P<0.01) was found. These results indicate that increased levels of cardio-respiratory fitness and habitual exercise are associated with lower resting levels of serum BDNF in healthy humans. This is the first study to demonstrate an inverse relationship between a physiological estimate of cardio-respiratory fitness and serum BDNF.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramsbottom
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ludlow
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nevill
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000502:physiology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor