Chronic exercise significantly improves working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility in children and adolescents¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 3 studies · 3 quant-synthesis r2–r3 · q3 · i1–i2
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Chronic exercises significantly improve working memory (SMD = −0.54, a moderate effect). → Liu S 2020 q3 i1 Chronic exercises significantly improve inhibitory control (SMD = −0.30, a small effect). → Liu S 2020 (2) q3 i1 Chronic exercises significantly improve cognitive flexibility (SMD = −0.34, a small effect). → Liu S 2020 (3)

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

Meta-analysis of chronic exercise studies (22 RCTs overall) on working memory, showing chronic exercises "shorten the response time effectively" with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 63.4%).

"Chronic exercises were shown to shorten the response time effectively (SMD = − 0.54; 95% CI − 0.74 to − 0.33, I2 = 63.4%, p < 0.001)"

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 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r3

Meta-analysis of chronic exercise studies on inhibitory control, showing chronic exercises "can significantly shorten response ti mes" with considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 64.2%).

"The aggregated result showed that chronic exercises can significantly shorten response ti mes (SMD = − 0.30; 95% CI − 0.38 to − 0.22, I2 = 64.2%, p < 0.001)"

Liu S 2020 (3)¶

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 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r2

Meta-analysis of chronic exercise studies on cognitive flexibility, showing "a significant effect on cognitive flexibilit y" with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 49.3%).

"Similarly, chronic exercises also had a significant effect on cognitive flexibilit y (SMD = − 0.34, 95 % CI − 0.48 to − 0.20, I2 = 49.3%, p < 0.001)"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• 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 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Acute exercise significantly improves working memory in children and adolescents with a moderate effect size (SMD = −0.72) — related
• Acute exercise significantly improves cognitive flexibility in children and adolescents with a small effect size (SMD = −0.34) — 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 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Metacognition interventions positively impact children's executive functions, a novel outcome in this literature — related
• Age moderates exercise effects in opposite directions: adolescents benefit more for inhibitory control, younger children more for working memory — related
• Acute exercise significantly improves inhibitory control in children and adolescents with a small effect size (SMD = −0.25) — related
• Acute exercise produces an overall small positive effect on cognition, with executive functions benefiting most and effects lasting up to two hours post-exercise — related