Neural Efficiency in Athletes: A Systematic Review

doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2021.698555

Paper

Neural Efficiency in Athletes: A Systematic Review

Published Aug 5, 2021 · Long-fei Li, Daniel M. Smith

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

Q1 SJR score

46

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1

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Abstract

According to the neural efficiency hypothesis (NEH), professionals have more effective cortical functions in cognitive tasks. This study is focusing on providing a systematic review of sport-related NEH studies with functional neuroimaging or brain stimulation while performing a sport-specific task, with the aim to answer the question: How does long-term specialized training change an athlete's brain and improve efficiency? A total of 28 studies (N = 829, Experimental Group n = 430) from 2001 to 2020 (Median = 2014, SD = 5.43) were analyzed and results were organized into four different sections: expert-novice samples, perceptual-cognitive tasks and neuroimaging technologies, efficiency paradox, and the cluster analysis. Researchers examined a wide range of sport-specific videos and multiple object tracking (MOT) specific to 18 different sports and utilized blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and electroencephalogram (EEG). Expert-novice comparisons were often adopted into investigations about the variations in general about optimal-controlled performance, neurophysiology, and behavioral brain research. Experts tended to perform at faster speeds, more accurate motor behavior, and with greater efficiency than novices. Experts report lower activity levels in the sensory and motor cortex with less energy expenditure, experts will possibly be more productive. These findings generally supported the NEH across the studies reviewed. However, an efficiency paradox and proficient brain functioning were revealed as the complementary hypothesis of the NEH. The discussion concentrates on strengths and key limitations. The conclusion highlights additional concerns and recommendations for prospective researchers aiming to investigate a broader range of populations and sports.

Systematic Review

Study Snapshot

Long-term specialized training in athletes leads to greater neural efficiency, faster performance, and more accurate motor behavior than novices, supporting the neural efficiency hypothesis.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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Neural Efficiency in Athletes: A Systematic Review

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References

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Optimal performance in self-paced sports is linked to increased alpha and theta brain activity, with experts' brains showing more relaxed and less busy activity than novices'.

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Teaching athletes to understand their attention through meta-attention can improve their concentration and enhance their performance in sports.

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Elite archers exhibit a stress-related compensatory neural strategy that stabilizes hemodynamic responses during visual simulation tasks, potentially improving performance under pressure.

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Motor training in fast-ball student athletes leads to decreased functional connectivity in the inferior frontal gyrus, improving executive control and attention focus.

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PRISMA 2020 updates the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to facilitate more transparent, complete, and accurate reporting of systematic reviews.

Citations

Neuroimaging and perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport: A narrative review of research and future directions

This paper reviews research on the neural mechanisms underlying perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport, highlighting the need for further exploration of less studied skills and their importance in dynamic environments.

Working memory related brain-behavior associations in the context of socioeconomic and psychosocial deprivation

Psychosocial deprivation weakens the positive association between working memory-related neural activation and behavioral performance in children, while socioeconomic deprivation does not.

Effects of visual and auditory cognitive tasks on postural balance in adolescents with intellectual disability: A comparative analysis of trained versus non-trained individuals

Trained adolescents with intellectual disabilities show superior postural balance performance, suggesting a complex relationship between cognitive function and motor control.

Olympic team rowers and team swimmers show altered functional brain activation during working memory and action inhibition

Olympic team rowers and swimmers show stronger recruitment of brain areas focusing on stable task demands, suggesting they employ different cognitive strategies than other athletes.

The acute effects of motor cortex transcranial direct current stimulation on athletic performance in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Acute tDCS has small to moderate effects on athletic performance in healthy adults, with exercise type, training status, and commercial tDCS being significant moderators.

Relation of general‐perceptual cognitive abilities and sport‐specific performance of young competitive soccer players

General perceptual-cognitive abilities, particularly cognitive flexibility and selective attention, positively impact soccer-specific performance in young competitive soccer players.