An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of elite athletes’ brain morphology characteristics

Objectives Published studies had proved that reorganization happened in athlete brain morphology, this study aims to investigate the structural brain plasticity induced by long-term motor training in elite athletes. Specifically, we seek to clarify whether such neuroplastic changes are positive or negative and to identify the brain regions consistently affected across different sports disciplines. Methods A coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis was conducted on 18 voxel-based morphometry magnetic resonance imaging studies published between 2005 and 2024. These studies compared gray matter morphology between elite athletes and non-athlete controls using the expert-novice paradigm. Results The results identified significant gray matter alterations in brain regions associated with motor skill execution (cerebellum: culmen and tonsil), motor execution planning (fronto-parietal network: inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule and postcentral gyrus), visual-spatial processing (occipital lobe: lingual gyrus, precuneus and cuneus), emotion and retention (limbic system: parahippocampal gyrus, uncus, thalamus, lentiform nucleus, caudate). Subgroup-1 analysis revealed that skill-based athletes showed more extensive positive plasticity in visual-spatial and fronto-parietal regions. Both skill-based and strength-speed athletes exhibited shared gray matter increases in the parietal and frontal lobes. Subgroup-2 analysis revealed that athletes engaged in contact sports demonstrated specific plasticity in the temporal lobe, linked to spatial awareness and emotion regulation. Conclusion This meta-analysis provides compelling evidence that long-term motor training is associated with both positive and negative neuroplastic changes in elite athletes' brains. Notably, sport-specific demands influence the pattern of gray matter reorganization, suggesting distinct neural adaptations underlying elite motor expertise. These findings highlight the cerebellum, fronto-parietal, occipital, and limbic systems as core neural substrates modulated by prolonged athletic training and call for further longitudinal and functional studies to elucidate causal mechanisms.