The Interplay Between Physical Exercise, Nutritional Strategies, and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Promoting Cognitive Performance.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of human and animal literature without systematic search or meta-analytic pooling.
PubMed 41980218 · doi:10.14336/AD.2025.1456
What was done
This narrative review synthesized human and animal research investigating how different exercise modalities (endurance, high-intensity interval training, resistance) and dietary approaches (ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting) influence brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and cognitive health, with an emphasis on middle-aged and older populations.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative values, effect sizes, or sample counts. It describes mechanistic pathways implicated in BDNF upregulation, including the PGC-1α-FNDC5-BDNF pathway, lactate signaling, increased blood flow, splenic platelet release, TrkB, IGF-1, irisin, cathepsin B, beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB), and Notch 1 signaling.
Why it matters
It organizes the mechanistic links through which combined lifestyle factors may enhance neurotrophic signaling and support cognitive resilience against age-related decline.
Limits
The paper is a narrative review rather than a systematic review. The abstract notes substantial methodological weaknesses across the primary literature, including heterogeneous exercise protocols (modality, intensity, duration), varying blood sampling times, and inconsistent cognitive assessment methods.
Cited by
- supports Modifiable lifestyle factors, including exercise, nutrition, and supplementation, enhance cognitive function and neuroprotection partially through increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels.