Gary S Goldfield, Glen P Kenny, Denis Prud'Homme, Martin Holcik, Angela S Alberga, Margaret Fahnestock, Jameason D Cameron, Steve Doucette, Stasia Hadjiyannakis, Heather Tulloch, Mark S Tremblay, Jeremy Walsh, Eva Guerin, Katie E Gunnell, Amedeo D'Angiulli, Ronald J Sigal
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that plays a critical role in modulating cognition in animals and humans. Aerobic exercise often increases BDNF in adults, but effects of this exercise modality and others among adolescents remain uncertain. This study examined the effects of aerobic training, resistance training, and combined training on resting serum BDNF levels in adolescents with overweight and obesity. After a 4-week pre-randomization treatment, 304 post-pubertal, adolescents with overweight or obesity (70% females) aged 14-18 years were randomized to one of four groups for 22 weeks: aerobic training (N = 75), resistance training (N = 78), combined aerobic and resistance training (N = 75), or non-exercising control (N = 76)...
April 18, 2018: Physiology & Behavior