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What keeps a body moving? The brain-derived neurotrophic factor val66met polymorphism and intrinsic motivation to exercise in humans

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Abstract

Individuals who are intrinsically motivated to exercise are more likely to do so consistently. In previous research, those with at least one copy of the methionine (met) allele in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF; rs6265) had greater increases in positive mood and lower perceived exertion during exercise. This study examined whether genotype for BDNF is also related to intrinsic motivation, measured by self-report during a treadmill exercise session and a free-choice behavioral measure (continuing to exercise given the option to stop) among 89 regular exercisers (age M = 23.58, SD = 3.95). Those with at least one copy of the met allele reported greater increases in intrinsic motivation during exercise and were more likely to continue exercising when given the option to stop (55 vs. 33 %). Results suggest that underlying genetic factors may partially influence perceptions of inherent rewards associated with exercise and might inform the development of individually targeted interventions.

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Notes

  1. We consider physical activity as a global, generic term referring to all activities that have a raised level of energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate and includes incidental activity like walking to work and occupational physical activities as well as other non-sedentary behaviors. Exercise refers to formal, purposive activities with the goal of raising energy expenditure with a particular focus on improving health-related outcomes such as cardiovascular fitness or strength. In the current article, we mainly focus on exercise as a formal, purposive activity, but recognize that the literature on genetic correlates tends to focus on overall and leisure time physical activity.

  2. Non-parametric tests were used because several of the dependent measures were not normally distributed in the current sample.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to K. Hutchison and his lab at the Mind Research Network for conducting the DNA assays. We would like to thank S. Gangestad for help with the study design, P. Hooper for input and revisions on previous versions of the manuscript, our participants, and T. Callahan, K. Wong, P. Onuska, and J. Halvaei, and the staff of New Heart for help with data collection.

Conflict of interest

Authors Ann E. Caldwell Hooper, Angela D. Bryan and Martin S. Hagger declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Ann E. Caldwell Hooper

  2. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    Angela D. Bryan

  3. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Research Group, School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    Martin S. Hagger

  4. Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Ann E. Caldwell Hooper

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Caldwell Hooper, A.E., Bryan, A.D. & Hagger, M.S. What keeps a body moving? The brain-derived neurotrophic factor val66met polymorphism and intrinsic motivation to exercise in humans. J Behav Med 37, 1180–1192 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-014-9567-4

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