title: Interaction between different sports branches such as taekwondo, box, athletes and serum brain derived neurotrophic factor levels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to compare serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels "which contributes in both neuron development/regeneration" between combat sport braches, which requires high attention and concentration and can lead micro and macro brain trauma, and athleticism, which requires durability in competition.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design included 4 groups. Group 1 had sedentary participants, and group 2 athletes (middle and long runners) who exercised for two 2-hour daily training sessions 6 days a week. group 3 included boxers, and group 4 taekwondo fighters. We investigated changes in the blood BDNF levels of taekwondo fighters, boxers, and athletes before and after training and compared them among each other and with measurements of sedentary controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All athletes had higher basal BDNF levels than sedentary participants. Boxers and taekwondo athletes had especially high basal BDNF levels. When we compared different sports branch each other Pre- and post- training BDNF values are ranked as follows: taekwondo > boxing > athletes > sedentary. In sport branches such as combat sports and athletes, serum BDNF levels have been demonstrated to be higher after training than before. In addition, serum BDNF levels were higher in taekwondo fighters and boxers than athletes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BDNF might have a role in the protection mechanism against brain damage or contributes in occurrence and maintenance of high attention and concentration especially among combat sports.
authors.affiliation: Physical Education and Sports High school, Yakutiye, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey - yunus@atauni.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Yunus
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oztasyonar
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001914:Boxing / Q000502:physiology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human