Exercise-induced neural plasticity in central and autonomic circuits

Exercise training induces physiological adaptations that have traditionally been interpreted mainly through changes in skeletal muscle, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and endocrine systems. Recent evidence from Kindel and colleagues shows that ventromedial hypothalamic steroidogenic factor-1 neurons are activated by exercise and are required for endurance gains. Here, we highlight complementary evidence from the autonomic nervous system. Our recent stereological study of rat stellate ganglia showed side-specific structural remodelling after treadmill training, including right-left asymmetry in neuronal number and divergent changes in neuronal soma size. Together, these observations suggest that exercise-associated adaptation may involve neural plasticity across central and peripheral autonomic circuits. This perspective raises testable questions about whether central hypothalamic and autonomic ganglionic adaptations act independently, sequentially, or as part of a coordinated body-brain-autonomic feedback system relevant to cardiac sympathetic regulation.