RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Modulation of cortical and subcortical brain areas at low and high exercise intensities
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 110
OP 115
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2018-100295
VO 54
IS 2
A1 Eduardo Bodnariuc Fontes
A1 Henrique Bortolotti
A1 Kell Grandjean da Costa
A1 Brunno Machado de Campos
A1 Gabriela K Castanho
A1 Rodrigo Hohl
A1 Timothy Noakes
A1 Li Li Min
YR 2020
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/2/110.abstract
AB Introduction The brain plays a key role in the perceptual regulation of exercise, yet neuroimaging techniques have only demonstrated superficial brain areas responses during exercise, and little is known about the modulation of the deeper brain areas at different intensities.Objectives/methods Using a specially designed functional MRI (fMRI) cycling ergometer, we have determined the sequence in which the cortical and subcortical brain regions are modulated at low and high ratings perceived exertion (RPE) during an incremental exercise protocol.Results Additional to the activation of the classical motor control regions (motor, somatosensory, premotor and supplementary motor cortices and cerebellum), we found the activation of the regions associated with autonomic regulation (ie, insular cortex) (ie, positive blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal) during exercise. Also, we showed reduced activation (negative BOLD signal) of cognitive-related areas (prefrontal cortex), an effect that increased during exercise at a higher perceived intensity (RPE 13–17 on Borg Scale). The motor cortex remained active throughout the exercise protocol whereas the cerebellum was activated only at low intensity (RPE 6–12), not at high intensity (RPE 13–17).Conclusions These findings describe the sequence in which different brain areas become activated or deactivated during exercise of increasing intensity, including subcortical areas measured with fMRI analysis.