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. 2020 Aug 20;17(17):6056. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176056

Table 2.

Characteristics of the RCTs and non-RCTs included in the review.

Author (Year) Follow-Up Intervention Control Outcomes Main Results
Goldfield et al.
(2018) RCT [4]
6 months
(4 days per week)
(1) Aerobic (20–45 min, 65–85% HRmax)
(2) Resistance (20–45 min, exercises with 2 × 15 progressing to 3 × 8, 8RM)
(3) Combined (Complete aerobic training program plus resistance training program during each session)
The control group received only dietary counselling with no exercise prescription Serum BDNF (ng/mL) No significant within- or between-group changes in BDNF
Aerobic group (△ = +1.80)
Resistance group (△ = −2.00)
Combined group (△ = −1.70)
Jeon and Ha
2015) RCT [15]
8 weeks
(3 days per week)
Exercise was performed on treadmills and the exercise intensity was set between 40% and 60%VO2R The control group were asked to continue their daily normal and sedentary activities Serum BDNF
(pg/mL)
The exercise group showed a significant increase in BDNF levels (p < 0.001)
Exercise (△ = +4.25)
Control (△ = +0.85)
Jeon and Ha
(2017) RCT [16]
12 weeks
(4 days per week)
(1) Low-intensity aerobic exercise (43.34 ± 3.59 min, 40% VO2R)
(2) Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (33.33 ± 3.64 min, 55% VO2R)
(3) High-intensity aerobic exercise (25.76 ± 2.10 min, 70% VO2R)
The SG performed whole-body stretching for 30 min at the same time, frequency and location as the aerobic exercise groups. Serum BDNF (ng/mL) The MIEG (p < 0.05) and HIEG (p < 0.01) groups showed a significant increase in BDNF levels
LIEG (△ = +0.26)
MIEG (△ = +1.81)
HIEG (△ = +4.85)
SG (△ = +0.54)
Kim et al.
(2015) RCT [33]
12 weeks
(5 days per week)
Combined exercise group (CEG): taekwondo movement-based exercise program (60 min, 50–80% HR) No exercise Serum BDNF (ng/mL) The CEG showed improvements in BDNF levels, but there was no significant difference between the groups
Combined group (△ = +2.58)
Control group (△ = +0.07)
Lee et al.
(2014) Non-RCT [34]
12 weeks
(3 days per week)
(1) Obesity group: aerobic exercise (40–60 min, 40–60% VO2max) No exercise Serum BDNF (pg/mL) Only GO showed a significant increase in BDNF levels (p < 0.05)
Obesity group (△ = +11.62)
Control group (△ = −0.51)
Shim and Kim
(2012) Non-RCT [35]
12 weeks
(3 days per week)
(1) Exercise group (20–25 min, 55–75% HRmax) and resistance (20–45 min, exercises with 3 × 8 progressing to 3 × 15, 50–70% 1RM) No exercise Serum BDNF (ng/mL) The EG showed improvements in BDNF levels, but there was no significant difference between the groups
Exercise group (△ = +2.58)
Control group (△ = +0.07)

BDNF= Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; HR = heart rate; HRmax = maximum heart rate; VO2max = maximum oxygen consumption; VO2R = reserve oxygen consumption; RM = maximum resistance; LIEG = Low-intensity aerobic exercise group; MIEG = moderate-intensity aerobic exercise group; HIEG = high-intensity aerobic exercise group; SG = Stretching group.