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Exercise and circulating BDNF: Mechanisms of release and implications for the design of exercise interventions
Open accessAbstract
Engagement in regular bouts of exercise confers numerous positive effects on brain health across the lifespan. Acute bouts of exercise transiently improve cognitive function, while long-term exercise training stimulates brain plasticity, improves brain function, and helps to stave off neurological disease. The action of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a candidate mechanism underlying these exercise-induced benefits and is the subject of considerable attention in the exercise-brain health literature. It is well established that acute exercise increases circulating levels of BDNF and numerous studies have sought to characterize this response for the purpose of improving brain health. Despite the interest in BDNF responses to exercise, little focus has been given to understanding the sources and mechanisms that underlie this response for the purpose of deliberately increasing circulating levels of BDNF. Here we review evidence to support that exploiting these mechanisms of BDNF release can help to optimize brain plasticity outcomes via exercise interventions, which could be especially relevant in the context of multimodal training (i.e., exercise and cognitive stimulation). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the candidate sources of BDNF during exercise and the mechanisms of release. As well, we discuss strategies for maximizing BDNF responses to exercise, and propose novel research directions for advancing our understanding of these mechanisms.
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“This concept is supported also by the fact that platelets do not produce BDNF.”
From BDNF as a Promising Therapeutic Agent in Parkinson’s Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [173]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Walsh, J. J., & Tschakovsky, M. E.
- Affiliations
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CA)
- Queen's University (CA)
- Venue
- Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism
- Publisher
- Canadian Science Publishing
- Published
- 2018-11
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1095-1104
- ISSN
- 1715-5312 (ISSN-L)
- 1715-5320
- OpenAlex
- W2803921770
- Cited by
- 256
- References
- 84
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 2.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- TSpace (University of Toronto) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nerve injury and regeneration
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Keywords
- brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF release, physical activity, neuroplasticity, exercise intervention, multimodal training, cognitive stimulation, acute exercise, neurodegenerative disease prevention
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Neuronal Plasticity, Exercise, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
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