TY - JOUR

T1 - Functional relevance of resistance training-induced neuroplasticity in health and disease

AU - Hortobágyi, Tibor

AU - Granacher, Urs

AU - Fernandez-del-Olmo, Miguel

AU - Howatson, Glyn

AU - Manca, Andrea

AU - Deriu, Franca

AU - Taube, Wolfgang

AU - Gruber, Markus

AU - Márquez, Gonzalo

AU - Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper

AU - Colomer-Poveda, David

N1 - CURIS 2021 NEXS 037

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Repetitive, monotonic, and effortful voluntary muscle contractions performed for just a few weeks, i.e., resistance training, can substantially increase maximal voluntary force in the practiced task and can also increase gross motor performance. The increase in motor performance is often accompanied by neuroplastic adaptations in the central nervous system. While historical data assigned functional relevance to such adaptations induced by resistance training, this claim has not yet been systematically and critically examined in the context of motor performance across the lifespan in health and disease. A review of muscle activation, brain and peripheral nerve stimulation, and imaging data revealed that increases in motor performance and neuroplasticity tend to be uncoupled, making a mechanistic link between neuroplasticity and motor performance inconclusive. We recommend new approaches, including causal mediation analytical and hypothesis-driven models to substantiate the functional relevance of resistance training-induced neuroplasticity in the improvements of gross motor function across the lifespan in health and disease.

AB - Repetitive, monotonic, and effortful voluntary muscle contractions performed for just a few weeks, i.e., resistance training, can substantially increase maximal voluntary force in the practiced task and can also increase gross motor performance. The increase in motor performance is often accompanied by neuroplastic adaptations in the central nervous system. While historical data assigned functional relevance to such adaptations induced by resistance training, this claim has not yet been systematically and critically examined in the context of motor performance across the lifespan in health and disease. A review of muscle activation, brain and peripheral nerve stimulation, and imaging data revealed that increases in motor performance and neuroplasticity tend to be uncoupled, making a mechanistic link between neuroplasticity and motor performance inconclusive. We recommend new approaches, including causal mediation analytical and hypothesis-driven models to substantiate the functional relevance of resistance training-induced neuroplasticity in the improvements of gross motor function across the lifespan in health and disease.

KW - Aging

KW - Athletic performance

KW - Causal mediation analysis

KW - Directed acyclic graphs

KW - Electroencephalography (EEG)

KW - Electromyography (EMG)

KW - Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

KW - Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)

KW - Multiple sclerosis

KW - Parkinson's disease

KW - Strength training

KW - Stroke

KW - Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS)

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099335592&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.019

DO - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.019

M3 - Review

C2 - 33383071

AN - SCOPUS:85099335592

VL - 122

SP - 79

EP - 91

JO - Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

JF - Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

SN - 0149-7634

ER -