You can't fix what isn't broken: eight weeks of exercise do not substantially change cognitive function and biochemical markers in young and healthy adults

Joanne Gourgouvelis; Paul Yielder; Sandra T Clarke; Hushyar Behbahani; Bernadette Murphy

doi:10.7717/peerj.4675

You can't fix what isn't broken: eight weeks of exercise do not substantially change cognitive function and biochemical markers in young and healthy adults

PeerJ. 2018 Apr 19:6:e4675. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4675. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Joanne Gourgouvelis¹, Paul Yielder², Sandra T Clarke¹, Hushyar Behbahani², Bernadette Murphy³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
² Department of Health Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
³ University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada.

Abstract

Objective: 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.

Methods: 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: Results showed exercise improved cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.044, d = 1.48) with no improvements in cognitive function or no changes in plasma BDNF and CTHB concentrations.

Conclusion: 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.

Keywords: BDNF; Cathepsin B; Cognitive function; Exercise.

Grants and funding

Joanne Gourgouvelis received the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.