Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Apr;12(4):e2544.
doi: 10.1002/brb3.2544. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

The effect of physical exercise on circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy subjects: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Ya-Hai Wang  1 , Huan-Huan Zhou  2 , Qiang Luo  3 , Sidong Cui  1
Affiliations
Review

The effect of physical exercise on circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy subjects: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Ya-Hai Wang et al. Brain Behav. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate how physical exercise (PE) would affect brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of healthy subjects.

Methods: Seven databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus) were searched for RCTs assessing the effects of PE on serum and/or plasma BDNF until December 18, 2021. Meta-analysis was performed by random-effects method with standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were conducted to investigate the potential source of heterogeneity. Trim and fill method, and leave-one-out cross-validation were conducted.

Results: Eventually, 21 articles, involving 809 participants, were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, both acute (5 trials, SMD: 1.20, 95% CI: 0.36 to 2.04, p = .005) and long-term (17 trials, SMD: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.27 to 1.08, p = .001) PE had significant positive effects on BDNF levels. Via subgroup analysis, studies of long-term PE with larger sample sizes, female participants, participants older than 60 years, and aerobic exercise contributed to a more pronounced improvement on BDNF levels than that found when all studies were combined.

Conclusion: Both acute and long-term PE had significant positive effects on circulating BDNF in healthy subjects. This review suggests that acute exercise and long-term aerobic exercise are powerful forms of PE to enhance neurotrophic effect, especially for female subjects or subjects over 60 years.

Keywords: brain-derived neurotrophic factor; meta-analysis; neurotrophic factor; physical exercise.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart of study selection through the review
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The forest plot of acute PE intervention on circulating BDNF levels
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The forest plot of long‐term PE intervention on circulating BDNF levels
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The subgroup analysis of long‐term PE intervention on circulating BDNF levels stratified by sample size (A), gender (B), age (C), and baseline BMI (D)
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The subgroup analysis of long‐term PE intervention on circulating BDNF levels stratified by sample size (A), gender (B), age (C), and baseline BMI (D)
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
The subgroup analysis of long‐term PE intervention on circulating BDNF levels stratified by duration of exercise (A) and type of exercise (B)
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
The subgroup analysis of long‐term PE intervention on circulating BDNF levels stratified by duration of exercise (A) and type of exercise (B)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Akobeng, A. K. (2016). Understanding type I and type II errors, statistical power and sample size. Acta Paediatrica, 105(6), 605–609. 10.1111/apa.13384 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Arazi, H. , Babaei, P. , Moghimi, M. , & Asadi, A. (2021). Acute effects of strength and endurance exercise on serum BDNF and IGF‐1 levels in older men. BMC Geriatr, 21(1), 50. 10.1186/s12877-020-01937-6 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arrieta, H. , Rezola‐Pardo, C. , Kortajarena, M. , Hervás, G. , Gil, J. , Yanguas, J. J. , Iturburu, M. , Gil, S. M. , Irazusta, J. , & Rodriguez‐Larrad, A. (2020). The impact of physical exercise on cognitive and affective functions and serum levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in nursing home residents: A randomized controlled trial. Maturitas, 131, 72–77. 10.1016/j.maturitas.2019.10.014 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Azevedo, K. P. M. D. , De Oliveira, V. H. , Medeiros, G. C. B. S. D. , Mata, Á. N. D. S. , García, D. Á. , Martínez, D. G. , Leitão, J. C. , Knackfuss, M. I. , & Piuvezam, G. (2020). The effects of exercise on BDNF levels in adolescents: A systematic review with meta‐analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6056. 10.3390/ijerph17176056 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baird, J. F. , Gaughan, M. E. , Saffer, H. M. , Sarzynski, M. A. , Herter, T. M. , Fritz, S. L. , Den Ouden, D. B. , & Stewart, J. C. (2018). The effect of energy‐matched exercise intensity on brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and motor learning. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 156, 33–44. 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.10.008 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Substances