Effect of 8 weeks moderate intensity aerobic exercise on brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in female athletes

Introduction: The effects of exercise training on serum BDNF is still unclear, thus the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 8 weeks moderate intensity aerobic exercise on serum BDNF levels in female athletes. Material & Methods: Twenty female karate athletics were randomly assigned to one of the exercise group (n=10) or control group (n=10). The training group performed endurance training 3 days a week for 8 weeks at an intensity corresponding to 50-60% individual maximum oxygen consumption for 45 min. Results: Body mass and BMI increased (P<0.05) after 8 weeks aerobic exercise compared to the control group. For WHR, body fat percentage and maximal oxygen consumption there were no significant differences between the exercise group and the control group. There were virtually no changes in body fat percentage, fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance and BDNF levels after 8 weeks training. Conclusions: Serum BDNF level was not affected by 8-week moderate intensity aerobic exercise in female athletes.