Fasting and exercise differentially regulate BDNF mRNA expression in human skeletal muscle

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression was measured in human skeletal muscle following 3 intensities of exercise and a 48-h fast. No change in BDNF mRNA was observed following exercise, while fasting upregulated BDNF by ∼ 3.5-fold. These changes were dissociated from changes in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) following exercise (+2- to 15-fold) and fasting (∼-25%). These results challenge our understanding of the response of BDNF to energetic stress and highlight the importance of future work in this area.