In vivo human brain biochemistry after aerobic exercise: preliminary report on functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Abstract Background Our aim was to disclose whether the positive psychological changes observed after a single bout of aerobic exercise have a biochemical correlate that can be visualized by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the human brain. Methods Right-handed male volunteers underwent psychological testing and MRS of the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere, both before and after 20 minutes of jogging at about 70% of their maximal aerobic capacity. Results Although there was a significant decrease on the postexercise anxiety test scores ( z = −2.201, P N -acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine, and choline, none were found to be significantly changed ( P > .05) after the exercise. Conclusion This is, to our knowledge, the first study to report on a functional application of MRS to mood states. Because it offers the ability to directly measure metabolic changes in the brain during neuronal activation, “functional MRS” may be a potential new tool that may be used as an adjunct to functional magnetic resonance imaging.