Fitness Boosts Post‑Exercise BDNF

A 12‑week cycling program in sedentary adults raised fitness (VO2max) but did not change resting BDNF; instead, fitter participants produced larger spikes of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor after a single exercise session, and those spikes correlated with altered prefrontal activity during attention/inhibition tasks. The result suggests cognitive benefits from exercise may depend on sustained improvements in fitness that amplify acute neurochemical responses rather than raising baseline neurotrophin levels. — If replicated, this implies public‑health guidance and mental‑health interventions should emphasize ongoing fitness (not just occasional workouts) to maximize exercise’s cognitive benefits.