High Intensity Resistance Exercise (HIRE) Improves Mood and Lowers Systemic Inflammation in Females without Increasing Blood-Brain Interface Biomarker S100β.

Purpose: This research (i) investigated mood, cognitive control, a blood-brain interface biomarker (S100β), and an inflammation biomarker (C-Reactive Protein, CRP) in response to acute high intensity resistance exercise (HIRE) in trained (TR) and untrained (UT) females, and (ii) cross-sectionally compared the TR and UT groups on these outcomes at rest to examine potential training adaptations.

Methods: Using a crossover design 37 young adult females (18=TR and 19=UT) were randomized to first complete one whole body HIRE bout or resting control. Saliva samples, mood states (POMS), and a test of cognitive control (STROOP) were assessed before and after each condition.

Results: Cross-sectionally, salivary S100β and inhibitory control did not differ between TR and UT. Vigor was higher for TR versus UT and the effect prior to resting control was large (d=0.81) and significant (p=.019). Salivary CRP was moderately lower for TR than UT before (d=.65, p=.056) and 24-hours after (d=.65, p=.03) resting control. TR and UT had psychological and physiological responses to HIRE that did not differ. For the combined groups, resistance exercise increased feelings of vigor immediately and 30-minutes post-exercise (η² = 0.172, p=0.001) and did not significantly change inhibitory control, CRP or S100β.

Conclusion: Cross-sectionally, TR females have higher vigor and lower salivary CRP than UT and the groups do not differ on inhibitory control or salivary S100β. For both resistance TR and UT young adult females, an acute bout of HIRE transiently increases feelings of vigor and does not change inhibitory control or salivary CRP and S100β. Current results question the conclusion, based on prior confounded research designs, that acute exercise increases S100β.