Publication Date
2026
College
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
School of Applied Health
Document Type
Poster
Description
Despite the performance benefits of endurance training, long-distance runners are at risk of declining performance and chronic fatigue when training load exceeds recovery capacity. Acutely, running can increase neurochemicals, blood flow, and neural activity, which temporarily enhances attetion and cognitive function. Chronically, running leads to structural and functional brain adaptations in regions involving memory, motor control, and decision making. However, Excessive training without adequate recovery can lead to Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) This review investigates how endurance running shapes the brain through acute and chronic adaptations, and how excessive training may shift these benefits toward maladaptive neural changes associated with overtraining syndrome.