Key result
Acute cardiovascular exercise initially increases then decreases CBF in an inverted U-shaped response.
Why the study?
A single bout of cardiovascular exercise can increase cerebral blood flow across multiple modalities, but studies have reported mixed findings.
Does acute cardiovascular exercise alter cerebral blood flow across different populations and exercise modalities?
Systematic Review (n=1,174)
Does acute cardiovascular exercise alter cerebral blood flow across different populations and exercise modalities?
Acute cardiovascular exercise induces an inverted U-shaped response in cerebral blood flow, highlighting the physiological dynamics of brain perfusion during physical exertion.
May warrant tailoring exercise duration to sustain cerebral perfusion; extends the pattern across populations and modalities.
A single bout of cardiovascular exercise can have a cascade of physiological effects, including increased blood flow to the brain. This effect has been documented across multiple modalities, yet studies have reported mixed findings. Here, we systematically review evidence for the acute effect of cardiovascular exercise on cerebral blood flow across a range of neuroimaging techniques and exercise characteristics. Based on 52 studies and a combined sample size of 1,174 individuals, our results indicate that the acute effect of cardiovascular exercise on cerebral blood flow generally follows an inverted U-shaped relationship, whereby blood flow increases early on but eventually decreases as exercise continues. However, we also find that this effect is not uniform across studies, instead varying across a number of key variables including exercise characteristics, brain regions, and neuroimaging modalities. As the most comprehensive synthesis on the topic to date, this systematic review sheds light on the determinants of exercise-induced change in cerebral blood flow, a necessary step toward personalized interventions targeting brain health across a range of populations.
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Mulser et al. (2022) conducted a systematic review in Healthy individuals and patients with various conditions (n=1,174). Acute cardiovascular exercise vs. Baseline or rest was evaluated on Cerebral blood flow (CBF). Acute cardiovascular exercise generally follows an inverted U-shaped relationship with cerebral blood flow, whereby blood flow increases early on but eventually decreases as exercise continues.
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