Brain Endurance Training Modulates Structure-Function Coupling and Enhances Soccer-Specific Performance: A Multimodal...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sports Science
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Soccer performance relies on complex cognitive and motor skills.
• Brain plasticity and its impact on athletic performance are areas of active research.
• Cognitive training interventions show potential for enhancing athletic capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a six-week brain endurance training (BET) intervention on soccer-specific performance.
• To examine neural adaptations in structure-function coupling (SC-FC coupling) following BET in sub-elite male soccer players.
• To determine if cognitive training can enhance the neural efficiency of executive-motor networks relevant to soccer.

Main Methods:

• Seventy sub-elite male soccer players were randomly assigned to a BET group or a control group.
• The BET group underwent 24 cognitive sessions combining Stroop and dual n-back tasks over six weeks.
• Resting-state fMRI and diffusion-weighted imaging assessed SC-FC coupling, alongside soccer performance tests (passing, shooting, agility, sprint).

Main Results:

• BET participants showed significant improvements in passing accuracy, shooting precision, reactive agility, and sprint performance compared to controls.
• Soccer-specific skills like passing completion time and shooting precision improved by 3.7% and 11.2% respectively.
• MRI revealed altered SC-FC coupling in executive and motor-related brain regions, correlating with performance gains.

Conclusions:

• A six-week BET intervention significantly enhances soccer-specific performance in sub-elite male players.
• BET induces neuroplasticity by optimizing SC-FC coupling in key brain networks involved in attention and motor control.
• Cognitive training offers a viable strategy to improve both neural efficiency and on-field performance in soccer athletes.