Differences in cerebral haemodynamics associated with long-term endurance training in older adults
11 affiliations
- 1School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- 2Centre for Human Brain Health, University Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- 3School of Psychology, University Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- 4School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
- 5Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
- 6Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- 7Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
- 8Research Unit, Sorlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway
- 9Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 10Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen (ISMC) and Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 11Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Abstract
Regular exercise can benefit cognitive functions in later life, but the mediating mechanisms remain unclear. Changes to brain vascular health are hypothesised to underpin training-induced brain health benefits, yet how long-term exercise training impacts cerebral haemodynamics is poorly understood. Therefore, this pre-registered cross-sectional study compared cerebral haemodynamics and cognitive functions between untrained (self-report <150 minutes/week moderate-intensity exercise) and long-term endurance trained (≥10 years) older adults (n = 28 per group, respective age = 66.0 ± 5.3 and 66.2 ± 5.2 years, respective peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak) = 28.4 ± 4.7 and 42.3 ± 7.2 mL/kg/min). Multiple post-labelling delay arterial spin labelling (ASL) data were used to estimate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial transit time (ATT) in grey matter at rest. Furthermore, in trained participants, global cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) was estimated using T2-relaxation-under-spin-tagging (TRUST) data (n = 26). There were no significant between-group differences (trained – untrained) in global CBF (5.6 [-2.6, 13.9] mL/100 g/min, P = 0.197), but global ATT was shorter in trained participants (-0.11 [-0.21, -0.02] seconds, P = 0.031). Within regions fed by anterior cerebral arteries, CBF was greater in trained participants (15.8 [3.2, 29.1] mL/100 g/min), but the effect did not survive multiple comparison adjustment (Padjusted = 0.064). Cognitive functions did not differ between the groups and were not associated with cerebral haemodynamics. OEF was not associated with V̇O2peak in trained participants, but was strongly inversely associated with global CBF (β = -0.96 [-1.21, -0.75], P = 0.002). In conclusion, older adults engaging with long-term endurance training have shorter ATT, counteracting normal age-related ATT lengthening. Longer-term longitudinal studies are required to confirm training-induced regional CBF elevations, which would also counteract normal age-related CBF declines. There was no evidence of relationships with cognitive functions, although the sample was predominantly healthy, educated, and aged 60–70 years. Using multiple post-labelling delays is crucial for future ASL research to isolate CBF and ATT from one another, improving estimation accuracy and delineating between different age-related cerebrovascular mechanisms.
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BibTeX
@article{feron2026differences,
title = {{Differences in cerebral haemodynamics associated with long-term endurance training in older adults}},
author = {Jack Feron and Foyzul Rahman and Sindre H. Fosstveit and Kelsey E. Joyce and Yifan Gou and Benjamin Talks and Hanzhang Lu and Hilde Lohne-Seiler and Sveinung Berntsen and Carl-Johan Boraxbekk and Karen J. Mullinger and Katrien Segaert and Samuel J.E. Lucas},
journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1162/imag.a.1427},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1162/imag.a.1427},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Differences in cerebral haemodynamics associated with long-term endurance training in older adults
AU - Jack Feron
AU - Foyzul Rahman
AU - Sindre H. Fosstveit
AU - Kelsey E. Joyce
AU - Yifan Gou
AU - Benjamin Talks
AU - Hanzhang Lu
AU - Hilde Lohne-Seiler
AU - Sveinung Berntsen
AU - Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
AU - Karen J. Mullinger
AU - Katrien Segaert
AU - Samuel J.E. Lucas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Imaging Neuroscience
DO - 10.1162/imag.a.1427
UR - https://doi.org/10.1162/imag.a.1427
AB - Regular exercise can benefit cognitive functions in later life, but the mediating mechanisms remain unclear. Changes to brain vascular health are hypothesised to underpin training-induced brain health benefits, yet how long-term exercise training impacts cerebral haemodynamics is poorly understood. Therefore, this pre-registered cross-sectional study compared cerebral haemodynamics and cognitive functions between untrained (self-report <150 minutes/week moderate-intensity exercise) and long-term endurance trained (≥10 years) older adults (n = 28 per group, respective age = 66.0 ± 5.3 and 66.2 ± 5.2 years, respective peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak) = 28.4 ± 4.7 and 42.3 ± 7.2 mL/kg/min). Multiple post-labelling delay arterial spin labelling (ASL) data were used to estimate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial transit time (ATT) in grey matter at rest. Furthermore, in trained participants, global cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) was estimated using T2-relaxation-under-spin-tagging (TRUST) data (n = 26). There were no significant between-group differences (trained – untrained) in global CBF (5.6 [-2.6, 13.9] mL/100 g/min, P = 0.197), but global ATT was shorter in trained participants (-0.11 [-0.21, -0.02] seconds, P = 0.031). Within regions fed by anterior cerebral arteries, CBF was greater in trained participants (15.8 [3.2, 29.1] mL/100 g/min), but the effect did not survive multiple comparison adjustment (Padjusted = 0.064). Cognitive functions did not differ between the groups and were not associated with cerebral haemodynamics. OEF was not associated with V̇O2peak in trained participants, but was strongly inversely associated with global CBF (β = -0.96 [-1.21, -0.75], P = 0.002). In conclusion, older adults engaging with long-term endurance training have shorter ATT, counteracting normal age-related ATT lengthening. Longer-term longitudinal studies are required to confirm training-induced regional CBF elevations, which would also counteract normal age-related CBF declines. There was no evidence of relationships with cognitive functions, although the sample was predominantly healthy, educated, and aged 60–70 years. Using multiple post-labelling delays is crucial for future ASL research to isolate CBF and ATT from one another, improving estimation accuracy and delineating between different age-related cerebrovascular mechanisms.
SN - 2837-6056
ER -