Effects of aquatic exercise on insulin-like growth factor-1, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cognitive function in elderly women.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 16-week aquatic exercise program on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, as well as cognitive function in elderly women. The subjects were 20 elderly women aged 68-80 years, randomly divided into an aquatic exercise group (n = 10) and a control group (n = 10). The aquatic exercises were performed for 60 min, three times per week for 16 weeks, and the intensity was progressively increased every 4 weeks (40-50% of heart rate reserve (HRR) for weeks 1-4, 50-60% of HRR for weeks 5-8, 60-65% of HRR for weeks 9-12, and 65-70% of HRR for weeks 13-16).