Strength exercise weakens aerobic exercise-induced cognitive improvements in rats

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 10;13(10):e0205562. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205562. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Aerobic exercise improves cognitive function and adult hippocampal neurogenesis. However, the effects of aerobic exercise combined with strength exercise on cognitive function and adult hippocampal neurogenesis are still unknown. In this study, we established exercise paradigms in rats to mimic aerobic exercise combined with low- and high-intensity strength exercise. We found that aerobic exercise improved spatial learning and memory as well as adult hippocampal neurogenesis, whereas strength exercise suppressed aerobic exercise-induced cognitive improvements and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in an intensity-dependent manner. Furthermore, the levels of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) and its downstream effector brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were increased in the aerobic exercise group, and strength exercise impaired the aerobic exercise-induced increases in β-HB and BDNF mRNA levels. Taken together, these results demonstrated that strength exercise weakened aerobic exercise-induced cognitive improvements and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in rats.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / physiology
  • Models, Animal
  • Neurogenesis / physiology
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Resistance Training*
  • Running / physiology*
  • Running / psychology*
  • Sedentary Behavior
  • Spatial Memory / physiology

Substances

  • Bdnf protein, rat
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
  • RNA, Messenger
  • 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid

Grants and funding

This work was supported by: (1) 202-02814 Nature Science Foundation of Changchun Normal University, the role of the funder was in data collection and analysis; (2) 2016-395 "Thirteen Five" science and technology research project of Jilin Province Education Department, the role of the funder was in preparation of the manuscript.