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Cited by 958Physical Activity and HealthNeurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsNerve injury and regeneration

Neurobiology of exercise

Open access
Dishman, Rod K., Berthoud, Hans‐Rudolf, Booth, Frank W., Cotman, Carl W., Edgerton, V. Reggie, Fleshner, Monika R., Gandevia, Simon C., Gomez‐Pinilla, Fernando +11 more·2006·Obesity
DOI 10.1038/oby.2006.46
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Abstract

Voluntary physical activity and exercise training can favorably influence brain plasticity by facilitating neurogenerative, neuroadaptive, and neuroprotective processes. At least some of the processes are mediated by neurotrophic factors. Motor skill training and regular exercise enhance executive functions of cognition and some types of learning, including motor learning in the spinal cord. These adaptations in the central nervous system have implications for the prevention and treatment of obesity, cancer, depression, the decline in cognition associated with aging, and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia, ischemic stroke, and head and spinal cord injury. Chronic voluntary physical activity also attenuates neural responses to stress in brain circuits responsible for regulating peripheral sympathetic activity, suggesting constraint on sympathetic responses to stress that could plausibly contribute to reductions in clinical disorders such as hypertension, heart failure, oxidative stress, and suppression of immunity. Mechanisms explaining these adaptations are not as yet known, but metabolic and neurochemical pathways among skeletal muscle, the spinal cord, and the brain offer plausible, testable mechanisms that might help explain effects of physical activity and exercise on the central nervous system.

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Crossref · 10.1038/oby.2006.46

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  • Acute physical activity triggers an increase of neurotransmitters (e.g. epinephrine, dopamine, brain-derived neurotrophic factors), which enhance cognitive processes.

    “From a psycho-physiological perspective, acute physical activity triggers an increase of neurotransmitters (e.g.epinephrine, dopamine, brain-derived neurotrophic factors), which are thought to enhance cognitive processes.15,16”

    From Effects of physical activity on executive functions, attention and academic performance in preadolescent children: a meta-analysis (2018) · cites this paper as [16]

    The “Is Physical Activity Regulated?” section reports that treadmill running acutely increases dopamine release in rats. “Neurotrophic Effects” links BDNF to learning and cognition, but describes increased BDNF expression with chronic activity, not a single acute bout. The cited paper does not establish the claimed acute rise in epinephrine or that these acute chemical changes enhance cognition. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Physical activity enhances angiogenesis and neurogenesis in areas of the brain that support memory and learning, subsequently enhancing cognitive performance.

    “This hypothesis is supported by the argue that physical activity enhances the angiogenesis 18 and neurogenesis 16 in areas of the brain that support memory and learning, subsequently enhancing cognitive performance.19”

    From Effects of physical activity on executive functions, attention and academic performance in preadolescent children: a meta-analysis (2018) · cites this paper as [16]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. [16]16. Royall DR, Lauterbach EC, Cummings JL, et al. Execu- tive control function: a review of its promise and challenges for clinical research. A report from the Committee on Re- search of the American Neuropsychiatric Association. J Neu- ropsychiatr Clin Neurosci. 2002;14:377-405.
  2. [22]22. Kempermann G, van Praag H, Gage FH. Activity-depen- dent regulation of neuronal plasticity and self repair. Prog Brain Res. 2000;127:35-48.
  3. [38]38. Yoo HS, Tackett RL, Crabbe JB, Bunnell BN, Dishman RK. Antidepressant-like effects of physical activity vs. imip- ramine: neonatal clomipramine. Psychobiology. 2000;28: 540 -9.
  4. [46]46. Neeper SA, Gomez-Pinilla F, Choi J, Cotman CW. Exer- cise and brain neurotrophins. Nature. 1995;373:109.
  5. [58]58. Vaynman S, Ying Z, Wu A, Gomez-Pinilla F. Coupling energy metabolism with a mechanism to support BDNF- mediated synaptic plasticity. Neuroscience. (in press).
  6. [79]79. Nickerson M, Elphick GF, Campisi J, Greenwood BN, Fleshner M. Physical activity alters the brain Hsp72 and IL-1beta responses to peripheral E. coli challenge. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005;289:R1665-74
  7. [101]101. Wing RR, Hill JO. Successful weight loss maintenance. Ann Rev Nutr. 2003;21:323-41.
  8. [103]103. Bi S, Scott KA, Hyun J Ladenheim EE, Moran TH. Running wheel exercise prevents the hyperphagia and obe- sity of OLETF rats: role of hypothalamic signaling. Endo- crinology. 2005;146:1676 -85.
  9. [120]120. Go ´mez-Pinilla F, Ying Z, Roy RR, Hudgson J, Edgerton VR. Activity is required to maintain basal levels of neuro- trophins and neuroplasticity in the spinal cord. J Neuro- physiol. 2004;92:3423-32.
  10. [121]121. McCall GE, Goulet C, Roy RR, et al. Spaceflight sup- presses exercise-induced release of bioassayable growth hor- mone. J Appl Physiol. 1999;87:1207-12.

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Authors
Dishman, R. K., Berthoud, H., Booth, F. W., Cotman, C. W., Edgerton, V. R., Fleshner, M. R., Gandevia, S. C., Gomez‐Pinilla, F., Greenwood, B. N., Hillman, C. H., Kramer, A. F., Levin, B. E., Moran, T. H., Russo‐Neustadt, A. A., Salamone, J. D., van Hoomissen, J. D., Wade, C. E., York, D. A., & Zigmond, M. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Georgia (US)
  • Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
  • University of Missouri (US)
  • University of California, Irvine (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • University of Colorado Boulder (US)
  • Neuroscience Research Australia (AU)
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • California State University Los Angeles (US)
  • University of Connecticut (US)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author
Zigmond, Michael J.
ORCID
Venue
Obesity
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2006-03
Volume
14
Issue
3
Pages
345-356
ISSN
  • 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
  • 1930-739X
DOI
10.1038/oby.2006.46
OpenAlex
W2132513137
Cited by
958
References
139
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 57 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 60 · 2015: 66 · 2014: 60 · 2013: 66 · 2012: 42
FWCI
4.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 2381 d)
Locations
  • Obesity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Louisiana State University
  • U.S. Army
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nerve injury and regeneration
Keywords
physical activity, neuroplasticity, neurotrophic factors, neurogenesis, neuroprotection, motor learning, executive function, cognitive aging, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, stress response, sympathetic nervous system, hypertension, depression
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Physiological, Behavior, Central Nervous System, Cognition, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Neuronal Plasticity, Stress, Physiological, Exercise

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