Concurrent Training Increases Serum BDNF in Older Adults Regardless of Exercise Frequency

This study enrolled 19 volunteers with an average age of 65 in a concurrent training program combining both aerobic and resistance exercise. Participants were divided into two groups: one training three times per week, the other five times per week. Both groups followed the same type of high-effort training protocol. The study measured BDNF, VO2max, and muscular strength before and after the intervention to determine whether training frequency was a meaningful variable in outcomes for older adults.

Both groups showed significant improvements in serum BDNF, VO2max, and muscular strength. The critical finding: there was no statistically significant difference between the three-day and five-day groups on any outcome measure. Frequency did not predict results. What predicted results was the consistent application of challenging, high-effort training — regardless of how many days per week that training occurred. BDNF increases were meaningful in both groups, reinforcing that older adults retain robust neuroplastic response to exercise.

For men over 50 who feel they don't have time to train five or six days a week, this study is directly reassuring. Three days per week of quality, high-intensity training produced the same gains in brain health, cardiovascular fitness, and muscle strength as five days per week. This aligns with the sprint training philosophy underpinning this site: brief, intense, infrequent sessions can produce exceptional results. The key variable is not time logged — it is quality of effort in each session.