Physical activity in the hour before memory retrieval is associated with superior memory retention, while sedentary time in that window is negatively associated¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2016 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Individuals who spent less time sedentary 0:50:40 up to the start of the second session, and more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity 0:58:40 to 0:20:00 prior to it, exhibited greater long-term memory. → Pontifex 2016

Evidence¶

Pontifex 2016¶

Pontifex, M. B., Gwizdala, K. L., Parks, A. C., Pfeiffer, K. A. & Fenn, K. M. (2016). The Association between Physical Activity During the Day and Long-Term Memory Stability. Scientific Reports 6, 38148. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38148

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Sliding-window regressions time-locked to the second session identified two critical windows prior to retrieval; less sedentary time (β = −0.28, p = 0.004) and more moderate-to-vigorous activity (β = 0.24, p = 0.012) each predicted "greater long-term memory".

"Individuals who spent less time sedentary 0:50:40 up to the start of the second session, (β = − 0.28, t (87) = 2.9, p = 0.004), and more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity 0:58:40 to 0:20:00 prior to the second session, (β = 0.24, t (87) = 2.6, p = 0.012), exhibited greater long-term memory"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Greater aerobic fitness is associated with more stable long-term memory retention over 12 hours in young adults — related
• A combined model of demographics, aerobic fitness, and the two critical activity windows accounts for over 30% of variance in long-term memory retention — related
• Spending more time sedentary 1 to 2 hours after encoding is associated with better long-term memory retention, implying physical activity in that window is detrimental — related
• Total percentage of time spent sedentary or in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during the day is unrelated to long-term memory retention in young adults — related
• The timing of acute exercise relative to learning modulates memory consolidation — a broader claim this one bears on
• Exercise performed four hours, but not immediately, after encoding enhances 48-hour retention of picture-location associations and hippocampal pattern similarity — related
• Memory recall declines over the 12-hour retention interval between encoding and retrieval — related