Effects of aerobic exercise on memory functions and serum levels of BDNF and TrkB in young adult and older adult male football players

Background/Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on verbal memory (VM) and non-verbal memory (NVM) functions as well as BDNF and TrkB serum levels in young and older adult male football players. Methods: Twenty-nine male football players voluntarily participated in this study and were divided into two age groups: G1 (young; 19–30 years old, n = 15, football experience 10.6 ± 2.79 years) and G2 (older; 46–71 years old, n = 14, football experience 35.78 ± 9.48 years). Serum BDNF and TrkB levels and performance on the VM and NVM tests were measured before and after a 60-min aerobic exercise session. A 2 (Time) x 2 (Group) mixed-model repeated measures ANOVA test was used to detect the effects of exercise and age differences. Results: There was a statistically significant time × group interaction of age and exercise on BDNF and TrkB levels (p