SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Movement Science
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1627227
This article is part of the Research TopicCognitive Interactions and Movement adaptationsView all 6 articles
A Study on the Effects of Exercise Training on Cortical Excitability in Athletes: A Meta-Analysis Based on TMS Measurements
Provisionally accepted
- 1Guangdong polytechnic of science and trade, Guangzhou, China
- 2Nanchang Normal University, NanChang, China
- 3Guangzhou Huashang College, Guangzhou, China
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Objective: This study investigates the impact of exercise training on athletes' cortical excitability, aiming to provide scientific evidence for optimizing training protocols and enhancing athletic performance. Methods: : Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to May 1, 2025, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess cortical excitability in athletes. Study quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.4 software, using standardized mean difference (SMD) as the effect size and a random-effects model to analyze heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using Stata 18.0. Results: The meta-analysis included 8 studies (245 participants). Results showed that exercise training significantly enhanced cortical excitability (n=8, SMD = -1.2, 95% CI = -1.75 to -1.65, p < 0.01), with high heterogeneity (I² = 71%). Subgroup analysis by exercise type indicated significant effects for combat sports and endurance sports (p < 0.05), but not for technical-tactical sports (p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis by training duration showed significant effects for long-, medium-, and short-term training (p < 0.05), with medium-term training exhibiting low heterogeneity (I² = 0%). Sensitivity analysis and funnel plots confirmed robust results with low risk of publication bias. Conclusion: Exercise training significantly augments cortical excitability in athletes, with particularly pronounced effects in combat sports. Future - 2 - research should explore the specific effects of diverse training modalities and TMS metrics to reduce heterogeneity and refine training strategies. Conclusion: Exercise training significantly enhances athletes' cortical excitability, particularly in combat and endurance sports and during medium-term training. Future research should further explore the specific effects of different training types and TMS metrics to reduce heterogeneity and optimize training design.
Keywords: exercise training, cortical excitability, Athletes, Meta-analysis, transcranialmagnetic stimulation (TMS), neuroplasticity, Motor Cortex, Athletic Performance
Received: 12 May 2025; Accepted: 08 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jiang, Li, Liu and Feng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Weiwei Feng, Guangzhou Huashang College, Guangzhou, China
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