Exercise and brain health: considering the role of irisin

Exercise-mediated improvement in cognition via the secretion of myokines like irisin is currently under investigation as a solution to the increasing burden of cognitive decline. However, studies measuring the long-term adaptation of basal irisin to exercise training and the short-term acute response of irisin to exercise report varied outcomes potentially explained by daily biological fluctuations as well as differentiation in the response of irisin to exercise based on age, exercise mode, and intensity. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the determinants of the longer-term chronic adaptation and short-term acute response of irisin to exercise therefore informing the development of exercise prescriptions aimed at improved cognition.