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The Impact of Aerobic Fitness on Cognition and Molecular Intermediates

Abstract

A positive relationship between exercise and cognition has been observed in the developing brains of school children as well as the degenerating brains of elderly adults. However, this relationship remains relatively unstudied in the fully functioning brains of young adults. BDNF is known to promote neurogenesis and long-term potentiation within the hippocampus and is believed to mediate the effect of exercise on brain structure and function. Irisin is a recently discovered molecule that may upregulate expression of hippocampal BDNF in response to exercise. This study explored the impact of fitness on cognition in graduate students and considered BDNF and irisin, as well as autonomic balance measured through heart rate variability, as potential mediators of the relationship.

We found no association between fitness and cognition, as assessed on a modified Lumosity NeuroCognitive Performance Test, in a cross sectional sample of this population, nor did an 8-week exercise intervention induce improvement in cognitive performance. This may suggest the presence of a cognitive ceiling, above which the benefits of exercise on cognition significantly taper off. There was a negative association between fitness and circulating levels of BDNF and irisin. However, the variability within our biochemical data supports other authors who have recently questioned the reliability of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to accurately quantify these molecules.

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