Age moderates exercise effects in opposite directions: adolescents benefit more for inhibitory control, younger children more for working memory¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 2 studies · 2 quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 For chronic exercise, adolescents aged 12–18 show a larger inhibitory control effect (SMD = −0.81) than children aged 5–12 (SMD = −0.19). → Liu S 2020 q3 i2 For chronic exercise, children aged 5–12 show a larger working memory effect (SMD = −0.64) than adolescents aged 12–18 (SMD = −0.30). → Liu S 2020 (2)

Evidence¶

Liu S 2020¶

Liu S, Yu Q, Li Z, Cunha PM, Zhang Y, Kong Z, Lin W, Chen S and Cai Y (2020) Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercises on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front. Psychol. 11:554915. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.554915

q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r3

Subgroup analysis of chronic exercise effects on inhibitory control by age (Q = 12.23, p = 0.01), showing adolescents 12–18 years old had a larger effect than children 5–12 years old.

"A large and significant reduction in the ES was attributed to children 12 –18 years old (SMD = − 0.81, 95% CI − 1.15 to − 0.48, p < 0.001) when compared with children 5–12 years old (SMD = − 0.19, 95% CI − 0.28 to − 0.09, p < 0.01)"

Liu S 2020 (2)¶

Liu S, Yu Q, Li Z, Cunha PM, Zhang Y, Kong Z, Lin W, Chen S and Cai Y (2020) Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercises on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front. Psychol. 11:554915. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.554915

q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r3

Subgroup analysis of chronic exercise effects on working memory by age (Q = 18.06, p = 0.001), showing children 5–12 years old improved more than adolescents 12–18 years old.

"children 5–12 years old had a greater improvement in working memory (SMD = − 0.64, 95% CI − 0.87 to − 0.42, p < 0.001) than those 12–18 years old (SMD = − 0.30, 95% CI − 0.49 to − 0.12, p < 0.001)"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Age may moderate acute PA effects on attention: effects appeared for 9–10 year olds but not 7–8 year olds — related
• Aerobic exercise improves executive functioning, most notably inhibitory control, in typically developing children, though evidence is tentative and one week-long study found no main effect — related
• Acute exercise significantly improves working memory in children and adolescents with a moderate effect size (SMD = −0.72) — related
• Meta-regression identifies exercise type, age, and study quality as significant moderators of chronic exercise effects on executive function — related
• Open-skill exercises yield larger executive function benefits than closed-skill exercises for inhibitory control and working memory — related
• Exercise session time of 30 minutes or less yields a larger working memory effect than longer sessions in chronic exercise interventions — related
• Chronic exercise significantly improves working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility in children and adolescents — related