Cerebral differences between roller and speed skaters: preliminary evidence for roller-to-ice talent transfer

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sports Science
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Talent transfer (TT) from roller skating to speed skating is a known pathway for elite athlete development.
• Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of this transfer is crucial for optimizing training and talent identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sport-specific cerebral structural and functional differences between elite speed skaters and roller skaters.
• To provide preliminary neuroimaging evidence for the
• roller-to-ice
• talent transfer.

Main Methods:

• Acquired structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 10 national-level speed skaters and 14 roller skaters.
• Employed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze whole-brain gray matter volume (GMV).
• Conducted whole-brain voxel-wise resting-state analyses for fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and degree centrality (DC).

Main Results:

• Speed skaters exhibited greater GMV in areas like the occipital lobe and cerebellum, but lower GMV in regions such as the precuneus compared to roller skaters.
• Speed skaters showed higher degree centrality (DC) in the left basal ganglia (caudate nucleus).
• Roller skaters displayed higher fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in the right prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions:

• Observed structural brain differences may relate to visuomotor integration, balance, and environmental predictability specific to each sport.
• Limited functional differences suggest common neural features supporting talent transfer.
• Findings offer neurobiological insights for talent identification and training strategies in roller-to-ice speed skating transitions.