Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Factors Relative to the Brain Nerve Growth in Girls

Department of Sport for All, Daegu Mirae College, Gyeongsan, Gy eongbuk 712-716, KoreaReceived May 8, 2010/Accepted June 23, 2010Exercise can favorably influence brain plasticity by facilitating neurogeneration, neuroadaptivity, and neuroprotection. Aerobic exercise has been reported to change brain nerve growth factors (growth hormone, insulin like factor-1, estrogen and serotonin). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of aerobic exercise for 12 weeks on brain nerve growth factors in girls. Fourteen female participants in elementary school grades 1 through 3 were randomly allocated to the exercise group (EG, n=6) and control group (CG, n=8). The EG participated in 60 minutes of modified ballet exercise as aerobic training three days a week for 12 weeks. Based on comparison between groups by two-way ANOVA with repeated measures, aerobic exercise program participants experienced decreased weight (p<0.01), BMI (p<0.01), fat mass (p<0.001), fat percent (p<0.001) and increased LBM (lean body mass) percent (p<0.001). In addition, we detected that aerobic exercise decreased the level of serotonin (p<0.05) and increased the level of GH (p<0.05) and IGF-1 (p<0.05). These findings suggest that aero-bic exercise programs can be an efficient intervention to change body composition, alleviate central fatigue, improve brain function, and induce brain cell proliferation in girls.Keywords : Aerobic exercise, brain nerve growth factor, IGF-1, estrogen, serotonin