Eight weeks of physical activity significantly increases BDNF levels in high school students in Indonesia: a randomized controlled trial
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v73.117944Keywords:
Physical Activity, Health, Physical Exercise, BDNFAbstract
Background: Many factors influence cognitive function. One such factor is regular exercise. Previous studies have shown that acute physical activity increases BDNF, a biomarker of cognitive function. However, chronic exercise has not been widely discussed.
Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of eight weeks of physical activity on increasing BDNF levels in high school students in Indonesia.
Methods: This study involved 50 healthy women divided into 2 groups. The experimental group (CE) (n=25) and the control group (CO) (n=25) before and after being used in this experimental study. The study participants were between 17 and 20 years old. People were selected through random sampling, not forgetting they agreed to the informed consent given by the researcher to them as research respondents and after they were selected, two groups were formed, from which the treatment group (CE) did physical activity three times a week for eight weeks, and the control group (CO) did not receive any physical activity intervention. The study was conducted for eight weeks, starting with the collection of information about the characteristics of the subjects. The subjects were then instructed to do physical activities guided by professional physical education teachers. The training consisted of sports games including volleyball, basketball, and soccer. Before the training on the first day, blood was taken as pretest data, and after undergoing treatment for eight weeks, blood was taken again as posttest data.
Results: The results of the study showed that eight weeks of physical activity were proven to significantly increase BDNF levels in healthy women p < 0.05 *.
Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that chronic physical activity can have a significant impact on cognitive function through BDNF levels. Therefore, regular physical exercise can be recommended to prevent cognitive decline.
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