Developing an exercise method for mental health care that takes into account gender differences in endocannabinoid expression

Discussing mental health struggles is less taboo than it once was and while talking about stress, depression and other mental health issues is useful, it isn’t a cure. Medication can be helpful in mitigating mental health struggles but if we could better understand bodily mechanisms, particularly ones that help induce positive mood changes, we'd be better equipped to treat mental health conditions. Tetsuya Yabe, Faculty of Sport Science, Yamanashi Gakuin University, Japan, is exploring this potential through investigations on the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, which helps regulate and balance key bodily functions. Although it is known that eCB is secreted during stress and also induced by exercise, much remains to be elucidated about how eCB changes in response to stress and exercise, and why it is a biological function in the first place. Yabe wants to shed light on these mysteries and, in doing so, alleviate chronic stress and depressive symptoms, benefiting society. Exercise-induced eCB has two main ligands, anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). They are secreted by the neurons in the brain's reward system and regulate the secretion of neurotransmitters through retrograde synaptic transmission. Yabe and the team are examining the changes in AEA and 2-AG over time due to low-intensity exercise, with a close eye on gender differences. They are aiming to clarify the role of exercise in mental health, including the purpose of AEA and 2-AG expression in response to stress and the overarching purpose of the eCB system itself.