The neuronal basis of motivation to exercise: Could exercise be a reward?

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K16485
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Developmental mechanisms and the body works
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Yamanaka Ko 順天堂大学, スポーツ健康科学部, 助教 (40551479)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 運動意欲 / モチベーション / ドーパミン / 線条体 / 報酬 / 条件づけ / 回転ホイール / ラット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Physical exercise is effective in maintaining and improving health. However, neuronal mechanisms underlying exercise motivation and factors that modify it have not been elucidated. We aimed at examining whether or not “exercise” could drive animals’ motivation as “reward” and whether or not the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is involved in exercise motivation. We developed a classical conditioning task in which the ON/OFF option of the brake of the rotating wheel and associated cue tone signals were assigned as unconditioned and conditioned stimuli. We observed that the amount of wheel rotation gradually increased with training, and there was a higher dopamine concentration in the striatum during the period of the exercise-predictive cue signal compared to that at rest in the conditioned task, suggesting that exercise may act as a reward. Furthermore, we showed that restrained stress may be an environmental factor that modulates exercise motivation.

Free Research Field

神経科学、生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

運動が健康増進や疾病予防に効果的であることはよく知られているが、その効果を得るためには継続的に運動を実施することが重要である。本研究で得られた結果は、運動そのものが「報酬」として作用すること、さらにストレスが慢性的な運動意欲の低下を引き起こす可能性があることを示した。本研究の成果は、運動意欲の個体差の理解、さらには運動意欲を客観的に評価するための脳内バイオマーカーの開発に向けた基礎研究の一つとして、役立つことが期待される。