Physiological responses of resistance training in increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v68.115912Keywords:
BDNF, resistance training, dementia, physical exerciseAbstract
Background: Cognitive function decline is a hallmark of dementia, a progressive neurological disease. One neurotrophin that is crucial to neuroplasticity, cognition, and mental health is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Exercise has currently been shown to be an effective non-pharmacological treatment for enhancing overall health. It is still unknown whether weight exercise raises BDNF levels.
Objective: The purpose of this research was to ascertain whether resistance training raised human BDNF levels. Materials and methods: We looked through a number of literature databases, including Scopus, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Science Direct, for our systematic review study. A search was conducted for articles published between 2015 and 2025 that discussed resistance training and BDNF. The databases Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Science Direct were used to locate 707 published publications in total. For this systematic review, ten papers that satisfied the inclusion criteria were chosen and examined. This study evaluated the standard operating procedures using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).
Results: It has been shown that resistance training can increase BDNF levels in humans.
Conclusions: Physical exercise has been shown to significantly increase BDNF levels in humans. Resistance training has the potential to be a preventive and therapeutic approach to dementia through increasing BDNF levels, but more standardized clinical trials are needed to prove this.
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