Acute physical exercise improves memory functions by increasing neural plasticity in the hippocampus. In animals, a single session of physical exercise has been shown to boost anandamide (AEA), an endocannabinoid known to promote hippocampal plasticity. Hippocampal neuronal networks encode episodic memory representations, including the temporal organization of elements, and can thus benefit motor sequence learning. While previous work established that acute physical exercise has positive effects on declarative memory linked to hippocampal plasticity mechanisms, its influence on memory for motor sequences, and especially on neural mechanisms underlying possible effects, has been less investigated. Here we studied the impact of acute physical exercise on motor sequence learning, and its underlying neurophysiological mechanisms in humans, using a cross-over randomized within-subjects design. We measured behavior, fMRI activity, and circulating AEA levels in fifteen healthy participants while they performed a serial reaction time task before and after a short period of exercise (moderate or high intensity) or rest. We show that exercise enhanced motor sequence memory, significantly for high intensity exercise and tending towards significance for moderate intensity exercise. This enhancement correlated with AEA increase, and dovetailed with local increases in caudate nucleus and hippocampus activity. These findings demonstrate that acute physical exercise promotes sequence learning, thus attesting the overarching benefit of exercise to hippocampus-related memory functions.

急性体育锻炼通过增加海马体的神经可塑性来改善记忆功能。在动物中，单次体育锻炼已被证明可以促进 anandamide (AEA)，一种已知可促进海马体可塑性的内源性大麻素。海马神经元网络编码情景记忆表征，包括元素的时间组织，因此可以有益于运动序列学习。虽然之前的研究表明，急性体育锻炼对与海马体可塑性机制相关的陈述性记忆有积极影响，但它对运动序列记忆的影响，尤其是对潜在影响的神经机制的影响却鲜有研究。在这里，我们研究了急性体育锻炼对运动序列学习的影响，及其在人类中的潜在神经生理机制，使用交叉随机受试者内设计。我们测量了 15 名健康参与者的行为、fMRI 活动和循环 AEA 水平，同时他们在短时间运动（中等或高强度）或休息前后执行了一系列反应时间任务。我们表明运动增强了运动序列记忆，对高强度运动显着，对中等强度运动更显着。这种增强与 AEA 增加相关，并与尾状核和海马活动的局部增加相吻合。这些发现表明，剧烈的体育锻炼促进了序列学习，从而证明了锻炼对海马相关记忆功能的总体益处。15 名健康参与者在短时间运动（中等或高强度）或休息前后执行一系列反应时间任务时循环 AEA 水平。我们表明运动增强了运动序列记忆，对高强度运动显着，对中等强度运动更显着。这种增强与 AEA 增加相关，并与尾状核和海马活动的局部增加相吻合。这些发现表明，剧烈的体育锻炼促进了序列学习，从而证明了锻炼对海马相关记忆功能的总体益处。15 名健康参与者在短时间运动（中等或高强度）或休息前后执行一系列反应时间任务时循环 AEA 水平。我们表明运动增强了运动序列记忆，对高强度运动显着，对中等强度运动更显着。这种增强与 AEA 增加相关，并与尾状核和海马活动的局部增加相吻合。这些发现表明，剧烈的体育锻炼促进了序列学习，从而证明了锻炼对海马相关记忆功能的总体益处。我们表明运动增强了运动序列记忆，对高强度运动显着，对中等强度运动更显着。这种增强与 AEA 增加相关，并与尾状核和海马活动的局部增加相吻合。这些发现表明，剧烈的体育锻炼促进了序列学习，从而证明了锻炼对海马相关记忆功能的总体益处。我们表明运动增强了运动序列记忆，对高强度运动显着，对中等强度运动更显着。这种增强与 AEA 增加相关，并与尾状核和海马活动的局部增加相吻合。这些发现表明，剧烈的体育锻炼促进了序列学习，从而证明了锻炼对海马相关记忆功能的总体益处。