Antonia’s third paper was accepted; based on data from the Neuroshape project, on which she initially worked with us as a MSc student. In this randomized controlled trial, we investigated the effect of a 12-week high vs. low intensity exercise intervention on hippocampal structure and function. We did not find that high intensity exercise significantly impacted brain structure and function more than low intensity exercise, in our sample of young healthy adults. We did find some intensity-independent effects over time, but these were not correlated with change in cardio-respiratory fitness. Overall, these results and the available literature suggests that the effects of exercise may be restorative rather than stimulatory, and hence may be particularly effective in elderly or diseased populations
January 2022