Lifetime sports engagement may be associated with differences in cognitive and psychosocial functioning, together with a tentative pattern of resting-state brain variation, though the principal neuroimaging finding did not survive correction for multiple comparisons.
Key Findings
Results
Participants with sports experience demonstrated enhanced performance in several cognitive tasks compared to those without experience.
Ninety healthy participants aged 20-83 years were categorized into four groups: single sports (N=25), team sports (N=11), combined single and team sports (N=20), and no experience (N=34).
Cognitive function was assessed across multiple tasks, with sports-experienced groups outperforming the no-experience group on several measures.
The study used self-reported sports experience across the lifetime rather than current exercise habits.
Results
Participants with sports experience demonstrated higher social adaptation scores than those without sports experience.
Social adaptation was assessed alongside cognitive function and quality of life.
The effect was observed across sports-experienced groups compared to the no-experience group (N=34).
Both team and single sports participants showed higher social adaptation scores than non-exercisers.
Results
The team-sport group showed increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) in the right middle frontal gyrus compared to other groups.
Resting-state fMRI data were analyzed using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) to investigate local spontaneous brain activity.
The increased ALFF was specifically localized to the right middle frontal gyrus in the team-sport group (N=11).
The authors note that 'the principal ALFF finding did not survive correction for multiple comparisons,' meaning this result should be considered preliminary.
The finding is described as 'hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory.'
Results
Exploratory functional connectivity analysis revealed reduced coupling between the right middle frontal gyrus and posterior sensory-visual regions in the team-sport group.
Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was used to investigate network-level integration.
Reduced connectivity was found between the right middle frontal gyrus and the postcentral gyrus, lateral occipital cortex, and occipital fusiform gyrus.
The authors suggest this pattern 'may be broadly consistent with accounts of functional specialization or neural efficiency.'
These functional connectivity results are characterized as exploratory and preliminary.
Methods
The study design categorized lifetime sports experience into four distinct groups based on type of sport participation.
Groups were: single sports (N=25), team sports (N=11), combined single and team sports (N=20), and no experience (N=34).
Categorization was based on self-reported sports experience across the lifespan.
The sample included 90 healthy participants spanning ages 20-83 years.
Measures included cognitive function, social adaptation, quality of life, ALFF, and seed-based functional connectivity.
Discussion
The neuroimaging results are explicitly characterized as preliminary and hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory evidence.
The principal ALFF finding in the right middle frontal gyrus did not survive correction for multiple comparisons.
The authors state the results 'should be regarded as preliminary and hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory.'
Despite this limitation, the authors note the findings 'still providing a concrete basis for future hypothesis-driven investigation.'
The observed connectivity pattern is described as only 'tentative' and 'may be broadly consistent' with neural efficiency accounts.
What This Means
This research suggests that the type and amount of sports and exercise a person engages in over their lifetime may be connected to how well their brain and social skills function in later life. Researchers studied 90 adults ranging from age 20 to 83 and grouped them by their lifetime sports history — team sports, individual sports, both, or none. People who had participated in sports at some point in their lives tended to score better on cognitive tests and showed better social adaptation compared to those with no sports experience. Those who had played team sports specifically showed differences in brain activity patterns in the frontal region of the brain, which is associated with higher-level thinking and decision-making.
Using brain scanning (resting-state fMRI), the researchers found that team sport participants had different spontaneous brain activity and connectivity patterns in the right middle frontal area of the brain compared to other groups. Specifically, this region appeared to be less tightly coupled with visual and sensory processing areas at the back of the brain, a pattern the researchers suggest could reflect more efficient or specialized brain organization. However, the researchers are careful to note that the key brain imaging finding did not hold up when stricter statistical tests were applied, meaning these brain-related results should be viewed as early-stage, exploratory findings rather than firm conclusions.
This research suggests that a lifetime of sports participation — particularly team sports — may leave lasting impressions on cognitive ability, social functioning, and even brain organization well into older age. The practical implication is that sports engagement throughout life could contribute to what scientists call 'cognitive reserve,' potentially supporting healthier brain aging. However, because the brain imaging findings were preliminary and the study relied on self-reported sports history, larger and more controlled studies are needed before strong conclusions can be drawn.
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Zhou Y, Matsui M, Kinoshita M, Saito D, Takiguchi Y, Ebina K, et al.. (2026). Lifetime sports and exercise experience are associated with cognitive, social, and resting-state brain activity in adults.. Brain imaging and behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-026-01168-0