Effects of Strength and Endurance Training on Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 in Humans

Abstract

Blood neurotrophins like insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are discussed to mediate health benefits of physical activity in humans. The aim of the study was to analyze the training effects of moderate endurance training (Em) and strength training with high loads (Sh) on blood plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and BDNF in humans. Venous blood samples were obtained from 27 healthy students, randomly assigned to an Em, Sh, and a control group, before and after a 12-week training intervention. Sh resulted in an increase in isometric (14.5%) and dynamic (8.3%) strength of the knee extensor muscles in the Sh group and Em led to a significant increase in the endurance performance in the Em group (p<0.05). IGF-1 basal plasma concentrations decreased (p<0.05) after the intervention in all groups. There were no significant changes for BDNF. Despite specific functional adaptations induced by Em and Sh there are no correspondingly different adaptations in the basal blood concentrations of the neurotrophins IGF-1 and BDNF. Additionally, exercise per se does not result in changes in basal plasma concentrations of BDNF, suggesting that the mode of the exercise programme is a decisive factor.

Key words

BDNF - IGF-1 - neurotrophins - physical activity

References

• 1 Åstrand PO. Experimental studies of physical working capacity in relation to sex and age. Kopenhagen: Munksgaard Verlag 1952
• 2 Bird SP, Tarpenning KM, Marino FE. Designing resistance training programmes to enhance muscular fitness: a review of the acute programme variables.  Sports Med. 2005;  35 841-851
• 3 Hollmann W. Zur Trainingslehre: Muskuläre Beanspruchungsformen und ihre leistungsbegrenzenden Faktoren.  Sportarzt Sportmed. 1967;  11 443
• 4 Laursen PB, Jenkins DG. The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training.  Sports Med. 2002;  32 53-73
• 5 Pette D. The adaptive potential of skeletal muscle fibers.  Can J Appl Physiol. 2002;  27 423-448
• 6 Green H, Goreham C, Ouyang J, Ball-Burnett M, Ranney D. Regulation of fiber size, oxidative potential, and capillarization in human muscle by resistance exercise.  Am J Physiol. 1999;  276 591-596
• 7 Hollmann W. Der Arbeits- und Trainingseinfluß auf Kreislauf und Atmung. Darmstadt: Steinkopff Verlag 1959
• 8 Holloszy JO, Coyle EF. Adaptations of skeletal muscle to endurance exercise and their metabolic consequences.  J Appl Physiol. 1984;  56 831-838
• 9 Hurley BF, Seals DR, Ehsani AA, Cartier LJ, Dalsky GP, Hagberg JM, Holloszy JO. Effects of high-intensity strength training on cardiovascular function.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1984;  16 483-488
• 10 Saltin B. Metabolic fundamentals in exercise.  Med Sci Sports. 1973;  5 137-146
• 11 Komi PV. Training of muscle strength and power: interaction of neuromotoric, hypertrophic and mechanical factors.  Int J Sports Med. 1986;  7 ((Suppl)) 10-15
• 12 Bell GJ, Syrotuik D, Martin TP, Burnham R, Quinney HA. Effect of concurrent strength and endurance training on skeletal muscle properties and hormone concentrations in humans.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2000;  81 418-427
• 13 Goreham C, Green HJ, Ball-Burnett M, Ranney D. High-resistance training and muscle metabolism during prolonged exercise.  Am J Physiol. 1999;  276 489-496
• 14 Cotman CW, Berchtold NC. Exercise: A behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity.  Trends Neurosci. 2002;  25 295-301
• 15 Hillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF. Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition.  Nat Rev neurosci. 2008;  9 58-65
• 16 Carro E, Nunez A, Busiguina S, Torres Aleman I. Circulating insulin-like growth factor I mediates effects of exercise on the brain.  J Neurosci. 2000;  20 2926-2933
• 17 Cotman CW, Berchtold NC, Christie LA. Exercise builds brain health: key roles of growth factor cascades and inflammation.  Trends Neurosci. 2007;  30 464-472
• 18 Widenfalk J, Olson L, Thoren P. Deprived of habitual running, rats downregulate BDNF and TrkB messages in the brain.  Neurosci Res. 1999;  34 125-132
• 19 Borst SE, Hoyos DV De, Garzarella L, Braith RW. Effects of resistance training on insulin-like growth factor-I and IGF binding proteins.  Med Sci Sports Exer. 2001;  33 648-653
• 20 Marx JO, Ratamess NA, Nindl BC, Gotshalk LA, Volek JS, Dohi K, Bush JA, Gómez AL, Mazzetti SA, Fleck SJ, Häkkinen K, Newton RU, Kraemer WJ. Low-volume circuit versus periodized resistance training in women.  Med Sci Sports. 2001;  33 635-643
• 21 Eliakim A, Brasel JA, Mohan S, Barstow TJ, Berman N, Cooper DM. Physical fitness, endurance training, and the growth-hormone-insulin-like growth factor 1 system in adolescent females.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;  81 3986-3992
• 22 Lange KHW, Isaksson F, Juul A, Rasmussen MH, Bülow J, Kjaer M. Growth hormone enhances effects of endurance training on oxidative muscle metabolism in elderly women.  Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2000;  279 E989-E996
• 23 Manetta J, Brun JF, Maïmoun L, Fédou C, Préfaut C, Mercier J. The effects of intensive training on insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and IGF binding proteins 1 and 3 in competitive cyclists: relationships with glucose disposal.  J Sports Sci. 2003;  21 147-154
• 24 Schulz KH, Gold SM, Witte J, Bartsch K, Lang UE, Hellweg R, Reer R, Braumann KM, Heesen C. Impact of aerobic training on immune-indocrine parameters, neurotrophic factors, quality of life and coordinative function in multiple sclerosis.  J Neurol Sci. 2004;  225 11-18
• 25 Heck H, Mader A, Hess G, Mücke S, Müller R, Hollmann W. Justifica-tion of the 4-mmol/l lactate threshold.  Int J Sports Med. 1985;  6 117-130
• 26 Gold SM, Schulz KH, Hartmann S, Mladek M, Lang UE, Hellweg R, Reer R, Braumann KM, Heesen C. Basal serum levels and reactivity of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor to standardized acute exercise in multiple sclerosis and controls.  J Neuroimmunol. 2003;  138 99-105
• 27 Rojas Vega S, Strüder HK, Wahrmann BV, Schmidt A, Bloch W, Hollmann W. Acute BDNF and cortisol response to low intensity exercise and following ramp incremental exercise to exhaustion in humans.  J Brain Res. 2006;  1121 59-65
• 28 Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang A-G, Buchner A. G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences.  Behav Res Meth. 2007;  39 175-191
• 29 Ogonovszky H, Berkes I, Kumagai S, Kaneko T, Tahara S, Goto S, Radák Z. The effects of moderate-, strenuous- and over-training on oxidative stress markers, DNA repair, and memory, in rat brain.  Neurochem Int. 2005;  46 635-640
• 30 Ferris LT, Williams JS, Shen CL. The effect of acute exercise on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and cognitive function.  Med Sci Sports Exer. 2007;  39 728-734
• 31 Chicharro JL, López-Calderon A, Hoyos J, Martín-Velasco AI, Villa G, Villanúa MA, Lucía A. Effects of an endurance cycling competition on resting serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its binding proteins IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3.  Br J Sports Med. 2001;  35 303-307
• 32 Izquierdo M, Ibañez J, González-Badillo JJ, Häkkinen K, Ratamess NA, Kraemer WJ, French DN, Eslava J, Altadill A, Asiain X, Gorostiaga EM. Differential effects on strength training leading to failure versus not to failure on hormonal responses, strength, and muscle power gains.  J Appl Pysiol. 2006;  100 1647-1656
• 33 Kraemer WJ, Ratames NA. Hormonal response and adaptations to resistance exercise and training.  Sports Med. 2005;  35 339-361
• 34 Walker KS, Kambadur R, Sharma M, Smith HK. Resistance training alters plasma myostatin but not IGF-1 in healthy men.  Med Sci Sports Exer. 2004;  36 787-793
• 35 Raastad T, Glomsheller T, Bjøro T, Hallén J. Recovery of skeletal muscle contractility and hormonal responses to strength training.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2003;  13 159-168

Correspondence