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Acute exercise influences reward processing in highly trained and untrained men
Nina Bothe1, Elisabeth Zschucke, Fernando Dimeo
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|October 13, 2012
Summary
Acute exercise reduces sensitivity to monetary rewards by diminishing ventral striatum (VS) activation. This effect was observed in both highly trained and physically inactive men, regardless of training status.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Exercise Physiology
- Reward System Research
Background:
- Physical activity engages the brain's reward system, including the ventral striatum (VS) and dopamine.
- The impact of exercise training status and acute exercise on reward processing remains under-investigated in humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of acute exercise on neural correlates of reward processing.
- To examine how training status influences the response to acute exercise in reward processing.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity during a monetary incentive delay (MID) task.
- Highly trained (HT) and physically inactive (PIA) men underwent either acute treadmill exercise or a placebo condition.
- Mood was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule.
Main Results:
- Acute exercise significantly improved mood in both HT and PIA participants.
- The ventral striatum (VS) showed significantly lower activation during reward anticipation and feedback in the exercise group compared to the placebo group.
- No significant differences in VS activation were found based on training status or interactions between training status and exercise.
Conclusions:
- Acute exercise diminishes reward sensitivity in humans, evidenced by reduced VS activation.
- This effect may be related to interactions between tonic and phasic dopamine within the VS.
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