We observed that an MRI surrogate of myelin content, myelin water fraction, is reduced in white matter regions after marathon running but recovers later. These findings suggest that brain myelin content is reversibly reduced after prolonged exercise, consistent with evidence in rodents that myelin lipids provide energy under extreme metabolic conditions.
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Fig. 1: Transient changes in myelin content after running a marathon.
References
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This is a summary of: Ramos-Cabrer, P. et al. Reversible reduction in brain myelin content upon marathon running. Nat. Metab. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01244-7 (2025).
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Reversible reduction in brain myelin content after endurance exercise. Nat Metab (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01251-8
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Published:24 March 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01251-8
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