Sports, Exercise and Brain Health

Dear Colleagues,

It is commonly known that regular exercise is good for people's cognition and brain health, especially in older persons. This point of view is not unexpected given that "exercise is the real polypill" based on peripheral organ-induced variables. The effects of habitual exercise on the human body are generally thought to be the outcome of recurrent activity and may, therefore, be linked to cumulative acute responses to exercise. Similar to how acute exercise can improve brain function, despite this is a temporary effect, it is possible to suggest that chronic exercise training, which involves regular repetition, can improve brain health. However, the exact mechanisms by which chronic exercise enhances brain function are still unknown, particularly regarding how the impact of acute exercise on brain function affects that of chronic exercise. For instance, by altering exercise intensity, duration, and frequency, the effects of chronic exercise can be changed while still using the same acute exercise. Therefore, it may be challenging to develop the ideal exercise prescription for chronic brain health based on findings on the impact of acute exercise on brain function. However, in order to inform appropriate exercise recommendations, it is crucial to investigate and organize the underlying mechanisms of acute exercise for brain health. A growing body of evidence suggests that the myokines cathepsin B and irisin, which are muscle-induced peripheral factors, cross the blood–brain barrier to increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which in turn, enhances neurogenesis, memory, and learning. However, despite the fact that the production of lactate has been widely used as a biomarker to reflect exercise mode, strength, and duration, lactate was not investigated to determine the mechanism of exercise-induced improvement in brain function.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to offer a starting point to numerous researchers working in this sector. We will consider all studies aimed at investigating the effects of physical exercise (acute or long-term) on the brain.

Dr. Fiorenzo Moscatelli
Prof. Dr. Giovanni Messina
Dr. Rita Polito
Guest Editors

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• sport
• physical exercise
• sport physiology
• cortical excitability
• transcranial magnetic stimulation
• brain health
• brain plasticity
• executive function
• mental health