A single bout of resistance exercise improves memory consolidation and increases the expression of synaptic proteins in the hippocampus

Abstract

Over the past decade, several studies have indicated that chronic resistance exercise (i.e., strength training, weight lifting, etc.) is beneficial for brain health and cognitive function. However, little is known about the effects of a single bout of resistance exercise on brain function, particularly on memory consolidation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to examine the effects of a single bout of resistance exercise applied immediately after the training of fear conditioning on memory consolidation and on the expression of IGF-1 and synaptic proteins in the hippocampus. Male Wistar rats were familiarized with climbing a ladder without a load for 3 days and randomly assigned into control (CTL) and resistance exercise (RES) groups. The RES group was subjected to a single bout of resistance exercise applied immediately after fear conditioning training. Subsequently, the animals were tested for contextual (24 h) and tone (48 h) fear memory. Another group of animals were subjected to a single bout of resistance exercise and euthanized 24 h later for hippocampal analysis of IGF-1 and synaptic proteins (synapsin I, synaptophysin, and PSD-95). The exercised rats improved contextual but not tone fear memory. Hippocampal IGF-1 was not altered by resistance exercise. However, the levels of synapsin I, synaptophysin, and PSD-95 increased significantly in the RES group. The results suggested that a single bout of resistance exercise applied immediately after fear conditioning could improve contextual memory, probably through the activation of pre- and postsynaptic machinery required for memory consolidation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physical exercise as an epigenetic modulator of brain plasticity and cognition

“…Recently, a meta-analysis study reported that a single bout of moderate aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory in preadolescent children and older adults (Ludyga et al, 2016), indicating that beyond the well know effects of long-term exercise on the brain, acute exercise also can be used as a tool for situations demanding a high executive control. Interestingly, we and others have found that a single bout of both aerobic (Siette et al, 2014) and resistance (Fernandes et al, 2016) exercise is able to enhance memory consolidation in rats.…”

Animal models of resistance exercise and their application to neuroscience research

“…Notably, aerobic exercise only produces changes in hippocampal IGF-1 and not IGF-1 receptor density, indicating that the latter effect may be selective to resistance modalities. These effects were not reported in a later study that used an acute training procedure (Fernandes et al 2016), suggesting that the effects of resistance exercise on IGF-1 might differ between acute and chronic regimens. Interestingly, significant and positive correlations were observed following chronic training between systemic and hippocampal IGF-1 concentrations, as well as performance in a passive avoidance task (Cassilhas et al, 2012b).…”

“…Similarly, resistance exercise improves spatial memory, with access to a resistance running wheel (Lee et al, 2012; Suijo et al, 2013) or regular ladder climbing with weighted loads (Cassilhas et al, 2012a) decreasing the latency and/or distance to reach a platform in a Morris water maze task (for details on this task see Ang et al, 2006; Morris et al, 1982). As described in Section 4.2, resistance training also improves associative learning as measured by fear conditioning tests (Cassilhas et al, 2012b; Fernandes et al, 2016; Kim et al, 2016). …”

“…Similar effects were observed in a later study in which a combination of aerobic treadmill running and resistance ladder climbing increased fear conditioning relative to sedentary controls (Kim et al, 2016). The effects of an acute bout of resistance training (i.e., ladder climbing) immediately following contextual and auditory fear conditioning using electric shock was also recently examined (Fernandes et al, 2016). Resistance exercise enhanced contextual, but not auditory, fear conditioning as measured by a freezing response.…”

The hot water extract and active components nicotinamide and guanosine of the leather carp Cyprinus carpio nudis improve exercise performance in mice

“…Physical activity plays a key role in the prevention of disorders such as depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer (Katz & Pate, ). Interestingly, even a single bout of either aerobic (Siette, Reichelt, & Westbrook, ) or resistance (Fernandes, Soares, do Amaral Baliego, & Arida, ) exercises enhances memory consolidation in rats. Aerobic exercise by itself or in combination with the selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitor sertraline lowered the depressive score and relapse rate at a 6‐month follow‐up (Blumenthal et al, ).…”