Table 2 Brain structure volumes (mean ± SD) at the four timepoints for each group: HRT, heavy resistance training; MIT, moderate intensity training; CON, non-exercising control group

Total

grey matter

(mm³)

595,868

 ± 48,110

594,011

 ± 47,916

591,175

 ± 47,960

586,520

 ± 48,126

593,738

 ± 50,042

591,094

 ± 50,003

588,288

 ± 49,242

584,237

 ± 49,570

588,597

 ± 39,059

585,462

 ± 38,357

582,880

 ± 38,642

577,523

 ± 36,883

F_6,819 = 0.816,

p = 0.557, \({\eta }^{2}\) = 0.006

F_3,819 = 231.549,

p < 0.001,

\({\eta }^{2}\)= 0.46

Hippocampus

(mm³)

7641.6

 ± 790.8

7592.0

 ± 786.1

7532.6

 ± 778.3

7426.1

 ± 768.8

7533.7

 ± 745.4

7490.2

 ± 729.1

7433.0

 ± 729.5

7297.5

 ± 739.2

7432.2

 ± 626.0

7358.5

 ± 645.6

7313.5

 ± 658.1

7171.7

 ± 669.3

F_6,819 = 1.21,

p = 0.299, \({\eta }^{2}\) = 0.009

F_3,819 = 310.07,

p < 0.001,

\({\eta }^{2}\)= 0.53

dlPFC

(mm³)

10,840.6

 ± 1619.2

10,790.3

 ± 1676.3

10,808.9

 ± 1675.5

10,722.0

 ± 1620.0

11,042.9

 ± 1713.8

10,977.9

 ± 1643.8

10,948.5

 ± 1626.4

10,945.8

 ± 1661.4

10,788.2

 ± 1529.5

10,705.5

 ± 1527.9

10,697.4

 ± 1561.5

10,726.7

 ± 1452.9

F_6,819 = 0.530, p = 0.786, \({\eta }^{2}\) = 0.004

F_3,818 = 3.638,

p = 0.013,

\({\eta }^{2}\)= 0.01

vlPFC

(mm³)

19,321.5

 ± 2050.0

19,223.9

 ± 2060.9

19,128.0

 ± 2141.9

18,980.8

 ± 2129.8

19,048.7

 ± 2038.8

18,918.2

 ± 2032.7

18,815.6

 ± 2008.8

18,611.7

 ± 1959.0

18,960.4

 ± 1665.4

18,862.0

 ± 1610.6

18,746.2

 ± 1683.9

18,526.6

 ± 1605.0

F_6,819 = 0.535, p = 0.782, \({\eta }^{2}\) = 0.004

F_3,818 = 74.268,

p < 0.001,

\({\eta }^{2}\)= 0.21

White matter

hyperintensities

(mm³)

3621.4

 ± 4873.3

3904.7

 ± 5286.8

4194.0

 ± 5578.3

4821.5

 ± 6620.2

3360.1

 ± 3225.0

3584.4

 ± 3456.4

3738.2

 ± 3623.4

4388.7

 ± 4244.0

2814.2

 ± 2311.6

3025.0

 ± 2440.7

3357.9

 ± 2946.0

4034.5

 ± 3814.8

F_6,819 = 0.506, p = 0.804, \({\eta }^{2}\) = 0.004

F_3,819 = 101.876, p < 0.001,

\({\eta }^{2}\)= 0.27