Jeremiah Peiffer

Higher cardiorespiratory fitness has been associated with enhanced cognitive function in older adults; yet, this relationship demonstrates a degree of variability. Thus, it is hypothesised that variation in genetic factors may influence the relationship between fitness and cognitive health. In this study we evaluate whether the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism moderates the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and verbal and visuospatial memory. Data from ninety-nine cognitively normal men and women aged 60 – 80 years were used. Fitness was assessed by peak oxygen consumption, and verbal and visuospatial memory were evaluated using well-validated measures. Participants were categorised into: lower-fit Met carriers, higher-fit Met carriers, lower-fit Val/Val, or higher-fit Val/Val. A significant interaction was observed between BDNF Val66Met and fitness on visuospatial memory performance; whereby lower-fit Met carriers performed 1SD lower than higher-fit Met carriers (p=0.04). We observed higher levels of fitness mitigated the deleterious effect of BDNF Met allele carriage on visuospatial memory. Future intervention studies should evaluate the effect of structured exercise on cognitive health between BDNF Val66Met carriers and Val/Val homozygotes.

Whether the intent is to increase athletic performance or enhance fitness in the face of an ever-expanding chronic disease epidemic, a structured exercise program is essential. The ability to monitor intensity in a training program is paramount, and can be aided by a multitude of methods ranging from simplistic (such as exercising based on ratings of perceived exertion) to complex (such as global positioning systems [GPS] and personal bicycle mounted power meters). Within this spectrum, the heart rate (HR) monitor is a relatively uncomplicated method of monitoring exercise intensity by providing real-time measurements of cardiovascular responses to exercise.