Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Cerebral perturbations provoked by prolonged exercise.

Lars Nybo1, Niels H Secher

  • 1Department of Human Physiology, Institute of Exercise and Sport Sciences, August Krogh Institute, Universitetsparken 13, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. lnnielsen@aki.ku.dk

Progress in Neurobiology
|May 15, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Strenuous exercise alters brain metabolism and neurochemistry, potentially causing central fatigue. This impacts motor neuron activation, challenging the brain during prolonged physical exertion.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Exercise induces sex-specific assembly of mitochondrial supercomplexes.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Brain glucose extraction is not fixed and may compensate for changes in cerebral blood flow - Commentary article on "Brain glucose extraction is fixed at 10% despite twofold variability in resting cerebral blood flow in healthy humans".

Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism·2026
Same author

Carbohydrate Storage and Supplementation Strategies for Peak Performance in Cross-Country Skiing.

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2026
Same author

UCI Sports Nutrition Project: Special Environments.

International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism·2025
Same author

Defining physiological resilience and durability in the context of endurance performance modeling.

Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)·2025
Same author

The effect of respiratory metaboreflex on cerebral haemodynamics during exercise.

Experimental physiology·2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Sports Medicine

Background:

  • Prolonged exercise can lead to fatigue, a complex phenomenon influenced by both central and peripheral factors.
  • The brain's metabolic and neurohumoral responses during intense physical activity are crucial for understanding fatigue.
  • Central fatigue, characterized by impaired motor neuron activation, is a significant consequence of strenuous exercise.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review cerebral metabolic and neurohumoral alterations during prolonged exercise in humans.
  • To explore the associations between these alterations and the development of central fatigue.
  • To highlight the brain's role as a limiting factor in sustained physical performance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on cerebral metabolism and neurohumoral changes during exercise.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of studies investigating the relationship between exercise intensity, duration, and central fatigue.
  • Examination of factors such as hyperthermia, hypoglycemia, and substrate availability affecting brain function.

    • Main Results:

    • Moderate exercise does not alter global brain energy turnover, but strenuous exercise induces significant changes.
    • Central fatigue may arise from impaired motor neuron activation due to neurophysiological alterations.
    • Factors like hyperthermia, hypoglycemia, altered neurotransmitter activity, and ammonia levels contribute to central fatigue.
    • Depletion of cerebral glycogen stores may also play a role in centrally mediated fatigue.

    Conclusions:

    • Prolonged and strenuous exercise induces homeostatic disturbances within the central nervous system (CNS).
    • These CNS disturbances can attenuate motor activation, leading to fatigue.
    • The brain is significantly challenged during prolonged exercise, impacting overall physical performance.