Brains of endurance athletes differ in the association areas but not in the primary areas

• Published in: Psychophysiology 2024-04, Vol.61 (4), p.e14483-n/a
• Main Authors: Geisler, Maria, Cruz, Feliberto, Makris, Nikos, Billah, Tashrif, Zhang, Fan, Rathi, Yogesh, O'Donnell, Lauren J., Bouix, Sylvain, Herbsleb, Marco, Bär, Karl‐Jürgen, Kikinis, Zora, Weiss, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Anisotropy; association brain areas; Athletes; Brain; Cardiorespiratory fitness; cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF); diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI); enduring‐training related brain changes; fractional anisotropy (FA); Information processing; Magnetic resonance imaging; Myelination; Neuroimaging; Physical activity; Physical fitness; radial diffusivity (RD); Sensory integration; Sensory stimuli; sport; structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI); Substantia alba; Substantia grisea
• ISSN: 0048-5772; 1469-8986; 1540-5958
• DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14483

Regular participation in sports results in a series of physiological adaptations. However, little is known about the brain adaptations to physical activity. Here we aimed to investigate whether young endurance athletes and non‐athletes differ in the gray and white matter of the brain and whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with these differences. We assessed the CRF, volumes of the gray and white matter of the brain using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), and brain white matter connections using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) in 20 young male endurance athletes and 21 healthy non‐athletes. While total brain volume was similar in both groups, the white matter volume was larger and the gray matter volume was smaller in the athletes compared to non‐athletes. The reduction of gray matter was located in the association areas of the brain that are specialized in processing of sensory stimuli. In the microstructure analysis, significant group differences were found only in the association tracts, for example, the inferior occipito‐frontal fascicle (IOFF) showing higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity, indicating stronger myelination in this tract. Additionally, gray and white matter brain volumes, as well as association tracts correlated with CRF. No changes were observed in other brain areas or tracts. In summary, the brain signature of the endurance athlete is characterized by changes in the integration of sensory and motor information in the association areas. This study unveils the intriguing relationship between regular endurance sports participation, brain structure, and cardiorespiratory fitness. The findings shed light on the intricate interplay between physical activity and brain physiology, contributing valuable insights to our understanding of the brain's response to exercise.