Nokia, Miriam S; Lensu, Sanna; Ahtiainen, Juha P; Johansson, Petra P P; Koch, Lauren G; Britton, Steven L; Kainulainen, Heikki
description
Aerobic exercise, such as running, enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) in rodents. Little is known about the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIT) or of purely anaerobic resistance training on AHN. Here, compared with a sedentary lifestyle, we report a very modest effect of HIT and no effect of resistance training on AHN in adult male rats. We found the most AHN in rats that were selectively bred for an innately high response to aerobic exercise that also run voluntarily and increase maximal running capacity. Our results confirm that sustained aerobic exercise is key in improving AHN.
