Table tennis players exhibit enhanced brain structure and function, with increased white matter integrity and improved cognitive performance, suggesting that the sport's demands can lead to significant neural and cognitive benefits.
This study was brought to you by the table tennis gang.
But on a serious note. This study is comparing people who are active and those that are not. Don't we have findings that a simple daily walk of about 7,000 steps tend to keep your brain young?
The study involved 20 national-level table tennis players, all of whom had been training for over six years. These athletes were compared to a control group of 21 healthy university students who had not received systematic motor skill training.
Yeah, we know that activities like these have physical and mental health benefits, especially compared to people that don't do any of this kind of activity. What's new in this study?
It's different because it mentions Table Tennis players. Now they just need more money to study regular Tennis, Chess and D&D players then a just BIT more for a comprehensive study. Should keep them in a job for 50 years or so.
That actually sounds like a very interesting question. Regular tennis has far greater cardio load and a slower mental pace. Chess is purely cerebral and memory-heavy while being sedentary, while D&D is an exercise in creativity that is also sedentary.