Neural plasticity is the mechanism by which the brain encodes experience and learns new skills, behaviors, and habits in daily life and on the athletic field. Brain cells called neurons form a communication network that serves as the foundation of information processing in the brain. The neural network of the brain holds the capacity to rearrange and strengthen communication efficiency. It is through this process of rearrangement (neural plasticity) that we can experience changes in the way our minds think, feel, and act. This includes everything from changing your backswing in golf or tennis, to developing a new mental routine for shot preparation, or restoring function following biomechanical or nervous system injury. Thus, optimal performance, skill learning, and recovery are achieved when the capacity for neural plasticity is maximized. Research has shown that physical exercise increases the brain’s capacity for plasticity, reflected in part by changes in brain structure and function following exercise training in animal models and humans. Since aging results in gradual neurodegeneration, or loss and dysfunction of brain cells, and decreased neuronal plasticity, aged samples (e.g., 60–80 years) form a platform for studying methods to increase brain plasticity. This entry reviews research on exercise effects on mental performance and the brain and highlights results with aged samples.
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