Exercise, Stress Resistance, and Central Serotonergic Systems

In Brief Voluntary exercise reduces the incidence of stress-related psychiatric disorders in humans and prevents serotonin-dependent behavioral consequences of stress in rodents. Evidence reviewed herein is consistent with the hypothesis that exercise increases stress resistance by producing neuroplasticity at multiple sites of the central serotonergic system, which all help to limit the behavioral impact of acute increases in serotonin during stressor exposure. Neuroplasticity in the central serotonin system contributes to the protective effect of voluntary exercise against stress-induced anxiety.