Neural Pathways Linking Autonomous Exercise Motivation and Exercise-Induced Unhealthy Eating: A Resting-State fMRI Study

• Published in: Brain sciences 2024-03, Vol.14 (3), p.221
• Main Authors: Ling, Ying, Han, Jinfeng, Cui, Yicen, Li, Wei, Chen, Hong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: autonomous motivation; Body mass index; Brain; Brain mapping; Brain research; Cerebellum; Chronic illnesses; Data collection; Eating behavior; Exercise; Food; Frontal gyrus; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Licenses; Licensing; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mediation; Motivation; Motor task performance; Neural networks; Oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein; PCB; Physical fitness; Polychlorinated biphenyls; resting-state fMRI; unhealthy foods licensing; Weight loss; Young adults
• ISSN: 2076-3425; 2076-3425
• DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14030221

Unhealthy food compensation following exercise contributes to the failure of exercise for weight loss. Autonomous exercise motivation is a protective factor against exercise-induced unhealthy foods licensing (EUFL). However, the neural mechanism of exercise-specific autonomous motivation and how these neural correlates link to EUFL remain uncertain. This study explored the resting-state brain activity (i.e., amplitude or fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF/fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo)) and seed-based functional connectivity (rsFC) of autonomous exercise motivation among 223 (72.3% female) healthy young adults. Autonomous exercise motivation and EUFL were measured by self-report measurements. Results across resting-state indices and rsFC analysis show that autonomous exercise motivation was robustly associated with activity and connectivity within the cerebellum posterior lobe (PCB), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and middle occipital gyrus (MOG). Specifically, the PCB acted as a hub, connecting the frontal and occipital lobes. Moreover, higher autonomous exercise motivation indirectly predicts reduced EUFL through enhanced activity in the MFG and connectivity of PCB-MOG. Neural substrate for enhanced conflict awareness and motor control may explain the protective effect of autonomous exercise motivation on post-exercise unhealthy eating. Enhancement of these functions could help regulate post-exercise eating and improve the effectiveness of exercise for weight loss.