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Differential modulation of motor cortex plasticity in skill- and endurance-trained athletes

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Abstract

Purpose

Extensive evidence exists that regular physical exercise offers neuroplastic benefits to the brain. In this study, exercise-specific effects on motor cortex plasticity were compared between 15 skilled and 15 endurance trained athletes and 8 controls.

Methods

Plasticity was tested with a paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocol. PAS is a non-invasive stimulation method developed to induce bidirectional changes in the excitability of the cortical projections to the target muscles. Motor cortex excitability was assessed by motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in the task-relevant soleus muscle, elicited with transcranial magnetic stimulation, before and following PAS. To test for changes at the spinal level, soleus short latency stretch reflexes (SLSR) were elicited before and after PAS.

Results

PAS induced a significant (76 ± 83 %) increase in MEP amplitude in the skill group, without significant changes in the endurance (−7 ± 35 %) or control groups (21 ± 30 %). Baseline MEP/post MEP ratio was significantly different between the skill and endurance groups. SLSR remained unchanged after the PAS intervention.

Conclusion

The possible reason for differential motor cortex plasticity in skill and endurance groups is likely related to the different training-induced adaptations. The findings of the current study suggest that long-term skill training by skill group induced preferable adaptations in the task-related areas of the motor cortex because increased plasticity is known to enhance motor learning.

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Abbreviations

EMG:

Electromyography

LTP:

Long-term potentiation

MEP:

Motor-evoked potential

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

PAS:

Paired associative stimulation

RMT:

Resting motor threshold

SLSR:

Short latency stretch reflex

TMS:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

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Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the subjects who participated in the study and to the laboratory staff from the Neuromuscular Research Center (Department of Biology of Physical Activity) of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, for their valuable contributions to this project.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Science and Technology, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajersvej 7 D 3, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark

    Susanne Kumpulainen, Michael Voigt & Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting

  2. Department of Biology of Physical Activity, Neuromuscular Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, PL 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Susanne Kumpulainen, Janne Avela & Vesa Linnamo

  3. Department of Sport Science, University of Konstanz, 78467, Konstanz, Germany

    Markus Gruber & Julian Bergmann

Authors
  1. Susanne Kumpulainen
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  2. Janne Avela
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  3. Markus Gruber
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  4. Julian Bergmann
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  5. Michael Voigt
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  6. Vesa Linnamo
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  7. Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susanne Kumpulainen.

Additional information

Communicated by Dick F. Stegeman.

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Kumpulainen, S., Avela, J., Gruber, M. et al. Differential modulation of motor cortex plasticity in skill- and endurance-trained athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1107–1115 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3092-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3092-6

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