Effects of aerobic exercise on children's executive function and academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis
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SUBMITTER: Zang W
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10998207 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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| S-EPMC11551034 | biostudies-literature
Project description:One of the most studied aspects of children's cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES -1.25; 95% CI -1.70; -0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES -1.30; 95% CI -1.98; -0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES -1.52; 95% CI -2.20; -0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.
| S-EPMC8226694 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Aerobic exercise can improve cognitive functions in healthy individuals and in various clinical groups, which might be particularly relevant for patients with ADHD. This study investigated the effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise on attention and executive functions in adult patients with ADHD, including functional MRI to examine the underlying neural mechanisms. On two different days, 23 adult patients with ADHD and 23 matched healthy controls performed in a flanker task, while functional MR images were collected, following 30 min of continuous stationary cycling with moderate intensity as well as after a control condition (watching a movie). Behavioral performance and brain activation were tested for differences between groups and conditions and for interactions to investigate whether exercise improves executive function to a greater extent in patients compared to healthy controls. Exercise significantly improved reaction times in congruent and incongruent trials of the flanker task in patients with ADHD but not in healthy controls. We found no changes in brain activation between the two conditions for either group. However, a subgroup analysis of ADHD patients with a higher degree of cardiorespiratory fitness revealed decreased activation in premotor areas during congruent trials and in premotor and medial frontal cortex during incongruent trials in the exercise compared to the control condition. Our results indicate exercise-induced improvements in attention and processing speed in patients with ADHD, demonstrating that adult patients with ADHD may benefit from an acute bout of exercise. These findings could be of high relevance for developing alternative treatment approaches for ADHD. In addition, results of the current study contribute to elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise on cognition and to better understand the role of cardiorespiratory fitness on these effects.
| S-EPMC6443849 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Even though positive relations between children's motor ability and their academic achievement are frequently reported, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Executive function has indeed been proposed, but hardly tested as a potential mediator. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine the mediating role of executive function in the relationship between motor ability and academic achievement, also investigating the individual contribution of specific motor abilities to the hypothesized mediated linkage to academic achievement. At intervals of ten weeks, 236 children aged between 10 and 12 years were tested in terms of their motor ability (t1: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, motor coordination), core executive functions (t2: updating, inhibition, shifting), and academic achievement (t3: mathematics, reading, spelling). Structural equation modelling revealed executive function to be a mediator in the relation between motor ability and academic achievement, represented by a significant indirect effect. In separate analyses, each of the three motor abilities were positively related to children's academic achievement. However, only in the case of children's motor coordination, the mediation by executive function accounted for a significance percentage of variance of academic achievement data. The results provide evidence in support of models that conceive executive function as a mechanism explaining the relationship that links children's physical activity-related outcomes to academic achievement and strengthen the advocacy for quality physical activity not merely focused on health-related physical fitness outcomes, but also on motor skill development and learning.
| S-EPMC5560562 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Executive function is among the most affected cognitive dimensions in depression. Physical exercise may improve executive function (e.g., working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility), although this is without consensus on adults with depression. Through this systematic review, we aim to elucidate the effects of physical exercise programs on executive functions in adults with depression. The literature search was performed in four relevant electronic databases, combining keywords and medical subject headings, from inception until September 2022. Controlled interventions, involving adults with depression, and reporting working memory, inhibition, and/or cognitive flexibility pre-post-intervention data, were considered includable. Results from meta-analyses included effect size (ES, i.e., Hedges' g) values reported with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs), with p set at ≤0.05. Seven studies were included, including 202 men and 457 women (age: 21.0-51.2 years; mild-moderate depression). For working memory, a small favoring effect was observed in the experimental groups compared with controls (ES = 0.33, 95%CI = 0.04-0.61; p = 0.026; I2 = 64.9%). For inhibition, physical exercise had a small favoring non-significant effect compared with controls (ES = 0.28, 95%CI = -0.17-0.74; p = 0.222; I2 = 72.4%). Compared with the control group, physical exercise had a trivial effect on cognitive flexibility (ES = 0.09, 95%CI = -0.21-0.39; p = 0.554; I2 = 68.4%). In conclusion, physical exercise interventions may improve working memory behavioral measures in adults with mild-to-moderate depression when compared with active and passive control conditions. However, the reduced number of available high-quality studies precludes more lucid conclusions.
| S-EPMC9690406 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Researching the relationship between physical activity and academic performance is becoming an important research topic due to increasing evidence about the positive effect of physical activity on cognitive functioning. The present systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration number: CDR132118) is a unique contribution to the recently published reviews since it only includes interventions longer than 6 weeks and acknowledges the influence of the qualifications of practitioners who deliver interventions. After identifying 14,245 records in five databases and selecting 247 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, 44 interventions passed all eligibility criteria. This meta-analysis uses validity generalization in a random effects model, which shows that academic performance itself is not solely caused by increased physical activity. The weighted mean population effect of all included interventions was rw = 0.181. Most of the studies had serious limitations since they did not report physical activity intensity, which is an essential component to achieving positive exercise effects on cognition. In addition, the qualifications of the staff who administer the interventions were largely ignored in existing literature. It was found that 13 out of 20 physical activity interventions with significant positive effects on academic performance were performed by practitioners who held higher qualifications in the field of physical education and exercise science, who could mediate higher physical activity intensities of the given interventions. The population effect in studies where interventions were administered by practitioners with lower qualifications in the field (rw = 0.14) was lower compared to interventions performed by staff with higher qualifications (rw = 0.22). There was also a significant difference in academic performance with regard to staff qualification level (? = 4.464; p = 0.035). In addition to activity duration, future physical activity intervention studies including those investigating academic performance should focus on the importance of physical activity intensity and include measures of physical fitness as objective indicators to enable more reliable analyses to establish physical activity influence on academic performance.
| S-EPMC7372103 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundContracting skeletal muscle produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) originating from both mitochondrial and cytosolic sources. The use of non-specific antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, during exercise has produced inconsistent results in terms of exercise performance. Consequently, the effects of the mitochondrial-targeted coenzyme Q10, named Mitoquinone (MitoQ) on exercise responses are currently under investigation.MethodsIn this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively synthesize research assessing the impact of MitoQ on aerobic endurance performance and exercise-induced oxidative damage. PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases were used to select articles from inception to January 16th of 2024. Inclusion criteria were MitoQ supplementation must be compared with a placebo group, showing acute exercise responses in both; for crossover designs, at least 14 d of washout was needed, and exercise training can be concomitant to MitoQ or placebo supplementation if the study meets the other inclusion criteria points. The risk of bias was evaluated through the Critical Appraisal Checklist (JBI).ResultsWe identified eight studies encompassing a total sample size of 188 subjects. Our findings indicate that MitoQ supplementation effectively reduces exercise-induced oxidative damage (SMD: -1.33; 95% CI: -2.24 to -0.43). Furthermore, our findings indicate that acute and/or chronic MitoQ supplementation does not improve endurance exercise performance (SMD: -0.50; 95% CI: -1.39 to 0.40) despite reducing exercise-induced oxidative stress. Notably, our sensitivity analysis reveals that MitoQ may benefit subjects with peripheral artery disease (PAD) in improving exercise tolerance.ConclusionWhile MitoQ effectively reduces exercise-induced oxidative damage, no evidence suggests that aerobic exercise performance is enhanced by either acute or chronic MitoQ supplementation. However, acute MitoQ supplementation may improve exercise tolerance in subjects with PAD. Future research should investigate whether MitoQ supplementation concurrent with exercise training (e.g., 4-16 weeks) alters adaptations induced by exercise alone and using different doses.
| S-EPMC11233485 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Exercise programs of moderate-to-vigorous intensity have been shown to improve the cognitive performance of older people. However, the specific effects of sports-based exercise programs on cognitive performance, particularly executive functions, remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of sports-based exercise programs on executive functions in older adults using a systematic review and meta-analysis of the scientific literature. A systematic review was conducted between 1 March and 1 July 2022, to look for published scientific evidence that analyzed different sports programs that may have affected executive function in healthy older adults. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on healthy older adults, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of nine studies with a total of 398 subjects met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. In terms of working memory, a small but positive significant effect was noted for the intervention group compared to the control group (effect size (ES) = 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.04-0.67; p = 0.029; I2 = 36.7%); in terms of inhibition, the intervention had a small favoring but no significant effect compared to the control group (ES = 0.20, 95% CI = -0.42-0.84; p = 0.517; I2 = 78.8%); and in terms of cognitive flexibility, the intervention had a small favoring but no significant effect compared to the control group (ES = 0.39, 95% CI = -0.11-0.89; p = 0.131; I2 = 75.5%). Our findings suggest that healthy older adults should be encouraged to participate in sports to improve their working memory; however, more studies are required in this area to reach more robust conclusions. This systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number: CRD42022284788).
| S-EPMC9566349 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The purpose of the study was to systematically review the evidence on the effects of an acute bout of exercise on concurrent performance of core executive function (EF) during exercise in adults. Four electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and SportDiscus) were searched from inception dates to 30 December 2020. The literature searches were conducted using the combinations of two groups of relevant items related to exercise and executive function. Articles were limited to human studies in adults. The search process, study selection, data extraction, and study quality assessments were carried out independently by two researchers. A total of 4899 studies were identified. Twenty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. Of the 42 reported outcomes in the 22 studies, 13 (31%) of the 42 outcomes showed that core EF performance was enhanced during exercise and 14 (33%) found that core EF performance did not differ from control conditions. Fifteen (36%) found that core EF performance was impaired. Notably, improved EF performances tend to be observed during moderate-intensity exercise, whereas impaired EF performances were more likely to be observed at vigorous-high intensity. The review suggests mixed findings regarding the effects of an acute bout of exercise on concurrent performance of core EF. Exercise intensity seems to influence the effects. The underlying neural mechanisms remain to be elucidated.
| S-EPMC8533767 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Objective Recent studies indicate that acute exercise, whether aerobic exercise (AE) or resistance exercise (RE), improves cognitive function. However, the effects on cognitive function of combined exercise (CE), involving both AE and RE in an exercise session, remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute CE on cognitive function. Design Within-subject design with counterbalancing. Methods Fifteen healthy men with a sedentary lifestyle in the previous three months were recruited. The participants were assessed for muscular fitness after performing four upper body exercises for a 10-repetition maximum and underwent a submaximal aerobic fitness assessment for V̇O2peak and corresponding workload (watts). They were then assigned to a CE, RE, or sitting control (SC) session in counterbalanced order and were assessed with the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) after each session. Results Acute CE led to a significantly shorter response time compared to SC (p < .05) in the SCWT, wherein there were no significant differences between acute CE and RE (p = 1.00). Additionally, no significant differences in the accuracy rate were observed across the different sessions (ps > .05). Conclusion A single session of moderate-intensity CE improved response time in the SCWT, comparable to RE. CE shows promise for enhancing cognitive function, warranting further research on its benefits and other exercise modalities.
| S-EPMC10448877 | biostudies-literature