Neuroscience of Exercise: Perspectives for Exercise Adherence

It is well established that physical inactivity may increase the risk for the development of chronic diseases [1]. Also, physical inactivity is related to high costs with public health [2] therefore, regular exercise seems to be critical for individual and public health. In this context, it has been hypothesized that the affective response (pleasure and displeasure) may be a determinant of behavior [3], based on this premise, several original studies were performed during the last years as an attempt to establish a relationship between aerobic exercise and affective responses [4-7]. In general, the scientific literature demonstrates that aerobic exercise performed at high intensities is related to negative affective responses [8, 9]. Moreover, a review published in 2015 showed that the affective response during aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity may predict future physical activity behavior [10]. However, despite the advancement of scientific literature in understanding the relationship between exercise and affective responses, the cerebral mechanisms that underlie this relationship are not well understood.