Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor-I and its binding protein responses to a session of endurance exercise in healthy elderly men

  Purpose: This study investigated the effect of endurance activity on brain-derived neurotrophic   factor(BDNF), insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1) and its binding protein 3(IGFBP-3) in elderly   healthy individuals.   Materials and Methods: Eleven healthy old males (mean age of 68 ± 2.31 years old, height   of 177 ± 3.1 cm and weight of 79 ± 1.5 kg) were studied. Seventy two hours after maximal   oxygen consumption (VO 2 max) evaluation, the participants performed an endurance activity at   the intensity of 70% of their VO 2 max. Three blood samples were collected from the antecubital   vein before, immediately and 30 minutes after the activity. The data were analyzed by repeated   measures ( P ≤ .05).   Results: There was a significant increase in serum BDNF and IGF-1 immediately after the   endurance activity ( P = .040 and P = .047, respectively). However, 30 minutes after the activity,   there were no significant changes in serum BDNF and IGF-1 compared to the serums before   the activity. There was also no significant change in IGFBP-3 immediately and 30minutesafter   the research protocol relative to serums before activity ( P = .067 and P = .154, respectively).   Conclusion: The findings showed that BDNF and IGF-1 increase significantly in response to   endurance activity, but no significant change was observed in IGFBP-3. Endurance activities   might contribute to an increase in neurotrophical factors involved in memory and cognitive   function which in turn decrease the incidence of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer,   depression and many other related neurophysiological ones in elderly adults.