However, the long-term effects of short periods of exercise may be limited. For example, increases in BDNF return to normal levels within 2 weeks following exercise (Gil-Mohapel et al. 2010). That said, the benefits of exercise may be prolonged through additional environmental experiences, such as those provided by raising animals in an enriched, stimulating environment. In fact, Hamilton and colleagues (2014) have found that the combination of wheel running followed by enrichment significantly increases adult neurogenesis relative to wheel running alone in alcohol-exposed rats. Similarly, exercise plus enrichment mitigates alcohol-induced impairments on behavioral tasks, such as trace eyeblink conditioning and contextual fear conditioning. Behavioral improvement was associated with increases in adult neurogenesis (Hamilton et al. 2014). In addition, specific motor training can have beneficial effects on the structure and function of the cerebellum among rodents exposed to alcohol prenatally (Klintsova et al. 2000).
