The effect of functional training on level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and functional performance in women with obesity

Obesity is the underlying cause of various health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory diseases. It is associated with low self-confidence, emotional disorder, anxiety, depression, social isolation, and suicide. In the present study, we investigated the effect of functional training on obese women's brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and executive functioning. To this end, 25 obese women were randomly assigned to 3 different groups labelled as active obese women-functional training, inactive obese women-functional training, and control group. The subjects performed 24 one-hour-long sessions of functional training three times a week. The intensity of activity for the research groups was moderate, which was equivalent to a level of 6-7 on the Borg scale. The analysis of intragroup results indicated that functional training increased serum BDNF significantly in both active and inactive obese women. It was also observed to improve executive functioning in both groups of the obese women via decreasing the number of errors, increasing the number of true responses, and reducing reaction time. The analysis of intergroup results, on the other hand, revealed that there were no significant differences between active and inactive obese women in terms of serum BDNF and executive functioning after functional training. Training promotes cognitive health, and this study adds that functional training may be important for improvement and maintenance of brain health and functional performance. Therefore, by increasing BDNF level through functional exercises, it is possible to help improve the cognitive functions of obese women.