Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Exercise Physiology
• Psychology

Background:

• Acute moderate exercise is known to alter functional connectivity (FC) in affect and reward networks.
• The specific impact of varying exercise intensities on FC remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of different exercise intensities (low vs. high) on brain functional connectivity.
• To examine the relationship between exercise-induced changes in functional connectivity and mood states.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five male athletes completed 30-minute low- (<35% LT) and high- (>20% LT) intensity treadmill exercise bouts.
• Resting-state fMRI was acquired pre- and post-exercise, alongside the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS).
• Seed-to-network analysis using the bilateral amygdala as a seed region was performed.

Main Results:

• Both exercise intensities significantly increased positive affect scores on the PANAS.
• A significant interaction effect was observed in amygdalar FC to the right anterior insula.
• This amygdalar-insular FC correlated with positive affect in the high-intensity condition (r = 0.47, p = 0.048).

Conclusions:

• Mood changes following exercise are associated with prolonged alterations in amygdalar-insular functional connectivity.
• These effects appear to be dependent on exercise intensity, with high-intensity exercise showing a significant correlation with mood.