The Link Between Physical Activity and Brain Health in Healthy Adults

The Link Between Strength and Endurance Training and Brain Health in Healthy Adults: A Comparative Study of Former Professional Athletes and Sedentary Individuals

The goal of this observational study is to investigate the cross-sectional relationship between physical activity and brain health from a multiscale approach (neuropsychology, neuroimaging, peripheral biomarkers and genetics) in former athletes and sedentary individuals. The main question it aims to answer is:

Do former athletes have better brain structure than sedentary people? Evaluating the differences in neurodegenerative processes between competitive training and sedentary and inactivity.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Group A: ex-athletes and continue to perform regular physical exercise (minimum 3 days/week of moderate-vigorous intensity).
• Group B: sedentary individuals, (i.e., perform <150 min of moderate intensity exercise per week or IPAQ score<600 MET min/week).
• In both groups (A and B) the conditions of physical exercise or sedentary lifestyle must have been maintained for at least 6 months prior to the evaluations.
• Not having a history of neurological or psychiatric disorder or suffering from a serious medical condition

Exclusion Criteria:

• Medical conditions that have a high risk of associated cognitive symptoms.
• Severe head injury with loss of consciousness within the previous 5 years.
• Alcoholism (>3 alcoholic drinks per day).
• Chronic use of anxiolytics, neuroleptics, narcotics, anticonvulsants, or sedative hypnotics.
• Hearing or visual impairment that would preclude testing
• History of neurological disease with clinically relevant impact on cognition (e.g. cerebrovascular disease).
• Incidental structural brain findings with impact on cognitive impairment or survival (e.g., malignant brain tumor).
• Presence of severe systemic disease (e.g., cancer under treatment).
• Consumption of anabolic substances.
• Problems understanding spoken or written Spanish.
• Those with pacemakers or metallic implants that may interfere with the MRI.