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The effects of different aerobic exercise intensities on serum serotonin concentrations and their association with Stroop task performance: a randomized controlled trial

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Acute exercise improves selective aspects of cognition such as executive functioning. Animal studies suggest that some effects are based on exercise-induced alterations in serotonin (5-HT) secretion. This study evaluates the impact of different aerobic exercise intensities on 5-HT serum levels as well as on executive functioning considering 5-HT as a potential mediator.

Methods

121 young adults (23.8 ± 3.6 years) were examined in a randomized controlled trial including three exercise intervention (35 min) groups (low intensity, 45 % of the maximal heart rate (HRmax); moderate intensity, 65 % HRmax; high intensity, 85 % HRmax) and one control group. 5-HT levels and response inhibition (measured by a computerized Stroop test) were assessed pre- and post-intervention.

Results

There was a significant (p = 0.022) difference between groups regarding serum Δ5-HT levels. Post hoc tests indicated significant (p = 0.013) higher 5-HT serum levels for the high-intensity group compared to the control group while other groups did not differ significantly from each other. Serum Δ5-HT levels and exercise intensity were shown to be linearly associated through polynomial contrast analysis (p = 0.003). Furthermore, ANOVA revealed a significant difference for Stroop parameter reading (p = 0.030) and a tendency for reverse Stroop effect (p = 0.061). Correlation analysis showed that augmented 5-HT levels were associated with improved results in response inhibition.

Conclusions

This study indicates that intensive acute exercise increases serum 5-HT levels compared to a control group. These findings might be relevant for many other related research fields in exercise science, since 5-HT receptors are expressed on many different cell types including endothelia and immune cells.

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Abbreviations

Δ5-HT levels:

5-Hydroxytryptamine levels at t 1 − t 0

5-HT:

5-Hydroxytryptamine

a.m.:

Ante meridiem

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

BBB:

Blood–brain barrier

BDNF:

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor

BMI:

Body mass index

Bpm:

Beats per minute

CG:

Control group

CNS:

Central nervous system

GXT:

Graded exercise test

HI:

High intensity

HLPC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

HR:

Heart rate

HRmax :

Maximal heart rate

IGF-1:

Insulin-like growth factor 1

LI:

Low intensity

MI:

Moderate intensity

Min:

Minutes

MWT-B:

Multiple choice vocabulary test

RCT:

Randomized controlled trial

RPM:

Revolutions per minute

Rpm:

Rotation per minute

RT:

Reaction time

SERT:

Serotonin transporter

SPSS:

IBM SPSS Statistics

TRP:

Tryptophan depletion

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

WTS:

Wiener test system

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Acknowledgments

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors would like to thank SCHUHFRIED GmbH for free access to the Stroop task hard- and software. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank Prof. Hans-Georg Predel for the opportunity to use his facilities as well as Dr. Peter Wright for editorial support.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany

      Philipp Zimmer, Christian Stritt, Wilhelm Bloch, Stephan Binnebößel, Alexander Schenk & Max Oberste

    2. Department of Preventive and Rehabilitative Sport Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany

      Sven Thorsten Hübner

    3. Hemostasiology and Pharmacology in the Hämostaseologicum Steglitz GmbH, Siemensstraße 27, 12247, Berlin, Germany

      Frank-Peter Schmidt

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    Correspondence to Philipp Zimmer.

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    Communicated by Guido Ferretti.

    P. Zimmer and C. Stritt contributed equally to that work.

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    Zimmer, P., Stritt, C., Bloch, W. et al. The effects of different aerobic exercise intensities on serum serotonin concentrations and their association with Stroop task performance: a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 2025–2034 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3456-1

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