Acute effects of moderate aerobic exercise on specific aspects of executive function in different age and fitness groups: A meta‐analysis

Ludyga, Sebastian; Gerber, Markus; Brand, Serge; Holsboer‐Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe

doi:10.1111/psyp.12736

Cited by 589Physical Activity and HealthNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesCardiovascular and exercise physiology

Acute effects of moderate aerobic exercise on specific aspects of executive function in different age and fitness groups: A meta‐analysis

Ludyga, Sebastian, Gerber, Markus, Brand, Serge, Holsboer‐Trachsler, Edith, Pühse, Uwe·2016·Psychophysiology

DOI 10.1111/psyp.12736

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Abstract

Whereas a wealth of studies have investigated acute effects of moderate aerobic exercise on executive function, the roles of age, fitness, and the component of executive function in this relationship still remain unclear. Therefore, the present meta‐analysis investigates exercise‐induced benefits on specific aspects of executive function in different age and aerobic fitness subgroups. Based on data from 40 experimental studies, a small effect of aerobic exercise on time‐dependent measures (g = .35) and accuracy (g = .22) in executive function tasks was confirmed. The results further suggest that preadolescent children (g = .54) and older adults (g = .67) compared to other age groups benefit more from aerobic exercise when reaction time is considered as dependent variable. In contrast to age, aerobic fitness and the executive function component had no influence on the obtained effect sizes. Consequently, high aerobic fitness is no prerequisite for temporary improvements of the executive control system, and low‐ as well as high‐fit individuals seem to benefit from exercise in a similar way. However, a higher sensitivity of executive function to acute aerobic exercise was found in individuals undergoing developmental changes. Therefore, preadolescent children and older adults in particular might strategically use a single aerobic exercise session to prepare for a situation demanding high executive control.

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Two authors used a modified PEDro scale to evaluate methodological quality, with disagreements resolved by a third author.
“Two authors used a modified version of the PEDro scale [31] to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. If there was a disagreement, a third author evaluated the issue, which was discussed until a consensus was reached.”
From Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on depression in adolescents (2022) · cites this paper as [31]
For executive function, larger acute effects were found for preadolescent children, Hedges' g 0.54 [0.21, 0.87], and older adults, 0.67 [0.40, 0.93], than for adolescents, 0.04 [−0.14, 0.23], and young adults, 0.20 [0.07, 0.34].
“Although effects were observed across the lifespan, larger effects (Hedges’ g) were realized for preadolescent children (0.54 [0.21, 0.87]) and older adults (0.67 [0.40, 0.93]) relative to adolescents (0.04 [−0.14, 0.23]) and young adults (0.20 [0.07, 0.34]) for executive function (67).”
From Physical Activity, Cognition, and Brain Outcomes: A Review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines (2019) · cites this paper as [67]
Overall, findings strongly indicate that transient cognitive benefits can follow single acute bouts of physical activity; these effects appear strongest for preadolescent children and older adults and for moderate intensity, with 11 to 20 minutes as the optimal duration.
“Overall, the findings strongly indicate that transient cognitive benefits may be derived following single acute bouts of PA. Such effects appear strongest for preadolescent children and older adults and for a PA dose of moderate intensity (65–68), with further evidence supporting 11-20 minutes in duration as the optimal range for enhancing cognitive function (65).”
From Physical Activity, Cognition, and Brain Outcomes: A Review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines (2019) · cites this paper as [67]

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Maintenance of Cognitive Control during and after Walking in Preadolescent Children
Drollette, E. S., Shishido, T., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2012) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e318258bcd5 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
The interactive effects of physical fitness and acute aerobic exercise on electrophysiological coherence and cognitive performance in adolescents
Hogan, M., Kiefer, M., Kubesch, S., Collins, P., Kilmartin, L., & Brosnan, M. (2013) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-013-3595-0 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
The effect of response execution on P3 latency, reaction time, and movement time
Doucet, C., & Stelmack, R. M. (1999) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1017/s0048577299980563 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
The Effect of a Single Aerobic Training Session on Cognitive Flexibility in Late Middle-Aged Adults
Netz, Y., Tomer, R., Axelrad, S., Argov, E., & Inbar, O. (2007) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/s-2006-924027 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Short‐term effects of aerobic exercise on executive processing, memory, and emotional reactivity
Tomporowski, P. D., & Ganio, M. S. (2006) · International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1612197x.2006.9671784 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Acute exercise enhances preschoolers' ability to sustain attention.
Palmer, K. K., Miller, M. W., & Robinson, L. (2013) · Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology (JSEP) · doi:10.1123/jsep.35.4.433 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Neuromodulation of associative and organizational plasticity across the life span: Empirical evidence and neurocomputational modeling
Li, S., Brehmer, Y., Shing, Y. L., Werkle‐Bergner, M., & Lindenberger, U. (2006) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2006.06.004 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Differential Effects of Acute Exercise on Distinct Aspects of Executive Function
Weng, T. B., Pierce, G. L., Darling, W. G., & Voss, M. W. (2014) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000000542 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Effect of acute exercise and cardiovascular fitness on cognitive function: An event‐related cortical desynchronization study
Chang, Y., Chu, C., Wang, C., Song, T., & Wei, G. (2014) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.12364 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Associations of Adiposity and Aerobic Fitness with Executive Function and Math Performance in Danish Adolescents
Huang, T., Tarp, J., Domazet, S. L., Gejl, A. K., Froberg, K., Andersen, L. B., & Bugge, A. (2015) · The Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.07.009 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Executive function during and after acute moderate aerobic exercise in adolescents
Soga, K., Shishido, T., & Nagatomi, R. (2014) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2014.08.010 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Weighting by Inverse Variance or by Sample Size in Meta-Analysis: A Simulation Study
Sánchez‐Meca, J., & Marín‐Martínez, F. (1998) · Educational and Psychological Measurement · doi:10.1177/0013164498058002005 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Effects of acute aerobic exercise on motor response inhibition: An ERP study using the stop-signal task
Chu, C., Alderman, B. L., Wei, G., & Chang, Y. (2015) · Journal of sport and health science/Journal of Sport and Health Science · doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2014.12.002 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
All or none hypothesis: A global-default mode that characterizes the brain and mind.
Diamond, A. D. (2009) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0014025 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
The immediate and sustained effects of acute exercise on planning aspect of executive function
Hung, T., Tsai, C., Chen, F., Wang, C.-C., & Chang, Y. (2013) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2013.05.004 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
The Athlete’s Brain: Cross-Sectional Evidence for Neural Efficiency during Cycling Exercise
Ludyga, S., Gronwald, T., & Hottenrott, K. (2015) · Neural Plasticity · doi:10.1155/2016/4583674 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Self-citation
No Influence of Noradrenaline Manipulation on Acute Exercise-Induced Increase of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Goekint, M., Heyman, E., Roelands, B., Njemini, R., Bautmans, I., Mets, T. F., & MEEUSEN, R. R. (2008) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31817eee85 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Cerebral blood flow and metabolism during exercise.
Ide, K., & Secher, N. (2000) · Progress in neurobiology · doi:10.1016/s0301-0082(99)00057-x · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Acute exercise performed close to the anaerobic threshold improves cognitive performance in elderly females
Córdova, C., Silva, V. C., Moraes, C. F., Simões, H. G., & Nóbrega, O. D. T. (2009) · Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research · doi:10.1590/s0100-879x2009000500010 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Exercise and Its Effects on the Central Nervous System
Anish, E. J. (2005) · Current Sports Medicine Reports · doi:10.1097/01.csmr.0000306066.14026.77 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Meta-Analysis: Formulation and Interpretation
Gliner, J. A., Morgan, G. A., & Harmon, R. J. (2003) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000085750.71002.01 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Acute exercise and aerobic fitness influence selective attention during visual search
Bullock, T., & Giesbrecht, B. (2014) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01290 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Investigating links between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and cognitive performance in elementary school students
Pirrie, A. M., & Lodewyk, K. R. (2012) · Mental Health and Physical Activity · doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2012.04.001 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Effects of acute aerobic exercise on exogenous spatial attention
Sanabria, D., Morales, E., Luque‐Casado, A., Galvéz-García, G., Huertas, F., & Lupiáñez, J. (2011) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.04.002 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
The effects of acute aerobic activity on cognition and cross-domain transfer to eating behavior
Lowe, C. J., Hall, P. A., Vincent, C. M., & Luu, K. (2014) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00267 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Failure to identify an acute exercise effect on executive function assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
Wang, C.-C., Shih, C.-H., Pesce, C., Song, T., Hung, T.-M., & Chang, Y. (2014) · Journal of sport and health science/Journal of Sport and Health Science · doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2014.10.003 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Apolipoprotein E ε4 Allele Modulates the Immediate Impact of Acute Exercise on Prefrontal Function
Marco, M. D., Clough, P., Dyer, C. E., Vince, R. V., Waby, J. S., Midgley, A. W., & Venneri, A. (2014) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10519-014-9675-5 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Ergometer cycling enhances executive control in task switching
Barenberg, J., Berse, T., & Dutke, S. (2015) · Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/20445911.2015.1024256 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Einfluss verschiedener Belastungssituationen auf die EEG-Aktivität
Ludyga, S., Hottenrott, K., & Gronwald, T. (2015) · German Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.5960/dzsm.2015.177 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Self-citation
Introduction
Mayr, U., Spieler, D. H., & Kliegl, R. M. (2001) · The European Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/09541440042000188 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
The Impact of Acute Exercise on Brain‐Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) and Cognitive Performance (LB694)
Calvert, H. G., Hwang, J., Kim, K., Harrison, M., Brothers, R. M., Glowacki, E. M., Dongen, D. J. V., & Castelli, D. M. (2014) · The FASEB Journal · doi:10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.lb694 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

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Sorted by citations

Physical Activity, Cognition, and Brain Outcomes: A Review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines
ERICKSON, K. I., HILLMAN, C., STILLMAN, C. M., BALLARD, R. M., BLOODGOOD, B., CONROY, D. E., MACKO, R., MARQUEZ, D. X., PETRUZZELLO, S. J., & POWELL, K. E. (2019) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001936 · Cited by 1,214 · see citing works
Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits
Mandolesi, L., Polverino, A., Montuori, S., Foti, F., Ferraioli, G., Sorrentino, P., & Sorrentino, G. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509 · Cited by 1,038 · see citing works
“…growing evidence showed that acute aerobic exercise, defined as a single bout of exercise, relates to improved cognitive functions, especially prefrontal cortexdependent cognition (Tomporowski, 2003; Lambourne and Tomporowski, 2010; Chang et al., 2011; Ludyga et al., 2016; Basso and Suzuki, 2017).”
Background
Physical Activity and Sports—Real Health Benefits: A Review with Insight into the Public Health of Sweden
Malm, C., Jakobsson, J., & Isaksson, A. (2019) · Sports · doi:10.3390/sports7050127 · Cited by 664 · see citing works
“I proved blood lipid profile [93] Lower risk for cardi pul onary disease in elderly [94,95] and Alzheimer’s [96] No effect on blood lipid profiles in children and adolescents [97] Improved peripheral nerve function [98] Better coordination, balance and reaction [98,99], especially in children and elderly [100] Enhance…”
BackgroundInfluential
Systematic review and meta-analysis investigating moderators of long-term effects of exercise on cognition in healthy individuals
Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., Pühse, U., Looser, V. N., & Kamijo, K. (2020) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-020-0851-8 · Cited by 481 · see citing works
Self-citation
A primer on investigating the after effects of acute bouts of physical activity on cognition
Pontifex, M. B., McGowan, A. L., Chandler, M. C., Gwizdala, K. L., Parks, A. C., Fenn, K., & Kamijo, K. (2019) · Psychology of Sport and Exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.08.015 · Cited by 339 · see citing works
“(Ludyga et al., 2016; McMorris, 2016), it is important to acknowledge that the extent to which physical activity-induced improvements in cognition manifest within reaction time or accuracy outcomes may likely be dependent upon the task parameters or instructions.”
BackgroundResult
Physical exercise as an epigenetic modulator of brain plasticity and cognition
Fernandes, J., Arida, R. M., & Gómez‐Pinilla, F. (2017) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.06.012 · Cited by 326 · see citing works
“…bout of moderate aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory in preadolescent children and older adults (Ludyga et al., 2016), indicating that beyond the well know effects of long-term exercise on the brain, acute exercise also can be used as a tool for…”
Method
Thinking While Moving or Moving While Thinking – Concepts of Motor-Cognitive Training for Cognitive Performance Enhancement
Herold, F., Hamacher, D., Schega, L., & Müller, N. G. (2018) · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2018.00228 · Cited by 295 · see citing works
“For instance, physical activity and/or exercise were shown to improve cognition in children (Hillman and Schott, 2013; Chaddock-Heyman et al., 2014; Khan and Hillman, 2014; Verburgh et al., 2014; Ludyga et al., 2016), in adolescents (Verburgh et al.”
Background
Effects of physical activity interventions on cognitive outcomes and academic performance in adolescents and young adults: A meta-analysis
Haverkamp, B. F., Wiersma, R., Vertessen, K., van Ewijk, H., Oosterlaan, J., & Hartman, E. (2020) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2020.1794763 · Cited by 238 · see citing works
“In the meta-analysis of Ludyga et al. (2016) it was suggested that short aerobic exercise bouts of moderate intensity restore cognitive resources, a finding that is in line with our results.”
BackgroundResult
The Acute Effect of High-Intensity Exercise on Executive Function: A Meta-Analysis
Moreau, D., & Chou, E. (2019) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691619850568 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
“Second, how is the effect of high-intensity exercise on executive performance moderated by the characteristics of exercise, cognitive tasks, research protocols, and participants? We predicted an effect of highintensity exercise on executive function but did not predict a direction because of inconsistencies in previou…”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Exercise for cognitive brain health in aging
Gomes‐Osman, J., Cabral, D. F., Morris, T. P., McInerney, K., Cahalin, L. P., Rundek, T., Oliveira, A., & Pascual‐Leone, Á. (2018) · Neurology Clinical Practice · doi:10.1212/cpj.0000000000000460 · Cited by 179 · see citing works
“Effect sizes range from small to moderate, yet findings appear to be consistently positive.(7-12) Despite the determined”
Background
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on depression in adolescents
Wang, X., Cai, Z.-D., Jiang, W.-T., Fang, Y.-Y., Sun, W.-X., & Wang, X. (2022) · Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health · doi:10.1186/s13034-022-00453-2 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
“Quality evaluation Two authors used a modified version of the PEDro scale [31] to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies.”
Method
The impact of exercise interventions concerning executive functions of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Liang, X., Li, R., Wong, S. H., Sum, R. K. W., & Sit, C. H. P. (2021) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/s12966-021-01135-6 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
“93]) [47], together with chronic exercises for children and adolescents (d = 0.”
Background
The effects of acute aerobic exercise on executive function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data
Ishihara, T., Drollette, E. S., Ludyga, S., Hillman, C. H., & Kamijo, K. (2021) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.026 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
“That is, EFs are generally thought to comprise a common (inhibitory control) and two separable components (working memory and cognitive flexibility) (Best and Miller, 2010; Blair, 2016; Miyake and Friedman, 2012; Zink et al., 2021).”
InfluentialSelf-citation
Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercises on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
Liu, S., Yu, Q., Li, Z., Cunha, P. M., Zhang, Y., Kong, Z., Wang, L., Chen, S., & Cai, Y. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.554915 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Acute Effects of Resistance Exercise on Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Multilevel Meta-Analysis
Wilke, J., Giesche, F., Klier, K., Vogt, L., Herrmann, E. M., & Banzer, W. B. (2019) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01085-x · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Performance in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: Potential Mechanisms and Evidence-based Recommendations
Christiansen, L., Beck, M. M., Bilenberg, N., Wienecke, J., Astrup, A. V., & Lundbye‐Jensen, J. (2019) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm8060841 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
A systematic review of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on P3b
Kao, S., Cadenas‐Sánchez, C., Shigeta, T. T., Walk, A. M., Chang, Y., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2019) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.13425 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
Review of High-Intensity Interval Training for Cognitive and Mental Health in Youth
Leahy, A. A., Mavilidi, M. F., Smith, J. J., Hillman, C. H., Eather, N., Barker, D., & Lubans, D. R. (2020) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000002359 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Motor skills and cognitive benefits in children and adolescents: Relationship, mechanism and perspectives
Shi, P., & Feng, X. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017825 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
“Studies have shown an “inverted U-shaped” dose–response relationship between exercise intensity and cognitive performance, with moderate intensity being more beneficial to the development of executive function (Chang et al., 2011; Ludyga et al., 2016).”
BackgroundInfluential
Aerobic exercise or stretching as add-on to inpatient treatment of depression: Similar antidepressant effects on depressive symptoms and larger effects on working memory for aerobic exercise alone
Imboden, C., Gerber, M., Beck, J., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., Pühse, U., & Hatzinger, M. (2020) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.052 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Self-citation
Physical activity and brain structure, brain function, and cognition in children and youth: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Gunnell, K. E., Poitras, V. J., LeBlanc, A. G., Schibli, K., Barbeau, K., Hedayati, N., Pontifex, M. B., Goldfield, G. S., Dunlap, C., Lehan, E., et al. (2018) · Mental health and physical activity · doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2018.11.002 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
An event-related potential investigation of the acute effects of aerobic and coordinative exercise on inhibitory control in children with ADHD
Ludyga, S., Brand, S., Gerber, M., Weber, P., Brotzmann, M., Habibifar, F., & Pühse, U. (2017) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2017.10.007 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Self-citation
Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Executive Function and Attention in Adult Patients With ADHD
Mehren, A., Özyurt, J., Lam, A. P., Brandes, M., Müller, H., Thiel, C. M., & Philipsen, A. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00132 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
“Based on previous studies showing that individuals with lower cognitive performance levels are more susceptible to benefits from exercise (15, 30, 51), we expected that patients would benefit to a greater extent.”
BackgroundMethod
Systematic review of the acute and chronic effects of high-intensity interval training on executive function across the lifespan
Hsieh, S., Chueh, T., Huang, C., Kao, S., Hillman, C. H., Chang, Y., & Hung, T. (2020) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2020.1803630 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Temporal Effects of Acute Walking Exercise on Learning and Memory Function
Sng, E., Frith, E., & Loprinzi, P. D. (2017) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/0890117117749476 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Cognitive benefits of exercise interventions: an fMRI activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis
Yu, Q., Herold, F., Becker, B., Klugah‐Brown, B., Zhang, Y., Perrey, S., Veronese, N., Müller, N. G., Kramer, A. F., & Zou, L. (2021) · Brain Structure and Function · doi:10.1007/s00429-021-02247-2 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Converging Evidence Supporting the Cognitive Link between Exercise and Esport Performance: A Dual Systematic Review
Toth, A. J., Ramsbottom, N., Kowal, M., & Campbell, M. J. (2020) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci10110859 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
A Review of Acute Physical Activity Effects on Brain and Cognition in Children
Hillman, C. H., Logan, N. E., & Shigeta, T. T. (2019) · Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1249/tjx.0000000000000101 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
“Some meta-analytic investigations suggest that there is no effect of acute PA on cognitive flexibility (46,47), whereas others have shown a more general positive effect of acute PA on executive control with no differences between the various subcomponents (13).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Effects and Moderators of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Subsequent Interference Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Oberste, M., Javelle, F., Sharma, S., Joisten, N., Walzik, D., Bloch, W., & Zimmer, P. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02616 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
The Effect of Acute High-Intensity Interval Training on Executive Function: A Systematic Review
Ai, J.-Y., Chen, F., Hsieh, S., Kao, S., Chen, A., Hung, T., & Chang, Y. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18073593 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Can exercise shape your brain? A review of aerobic exercise effects on cognitive function and neuro-physiological underpinning mechanisms
Ferrer-Uris, B., Ramos, M. A., Busquets, A., & Angulo-Kinzler, R. M. (2022) · AIMS neuroscience · doi:10.3934/neuroscience.2022009 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
The Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Flexibility and Task-Related Heart Rate Variability in Children With ADHD and Healthy Controls
Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., Mücke, M., Brand, S., Weber, P., Brotzmann, M., & Pühse, U. (2018) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/1087054718757647 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
“In this respect, meta-analytical findings have shown that acute moderately intense aerobic exercise transiently benefits executive functions among healthy individuals (Ludyga, Gerber, Brand, Holsboer-Trachsler, & Pühse, 2016).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Acute bouts of exercising improved mood, rumination and social interaction in inpatients with mental disorders
Brand, S., Colledge, F., Ludyga, S., Emmenegger, R., Kalak, N., Sadeghi Bahmani, D., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., Pühse, U., & Gerber, M. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00249 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
“…that at least among healthy samples and pediatric patients with ADHD a single bout of exercise improved executive function and attention [see Ludyga et al. (2016, 2017) for a broader overview], while such an intervention has not so far been trialed among adult Frontiers in Psychology |…”
BackgroundResult
Intensity-Dependent Effects of Acute Exercise on Executive Function
Mehren, A., Luque, C. D., Brandes, M., Lam, A. P., Thiel, C. M., Philipsen, A., & Özyurt, J. (2019) · Neural Plasticity · doi:10.1155/2019/8608317 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
“susceptible to benefit from exercise than young adults [2, 30, 48].”
Background
The acute effects of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous exercise on declarative memory and inhibitory control
Kao, S., Drollette, E. S., Ritondale, J. P., Khan, N. A., & Hillman, C. H. (2018) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.05.011 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Improving Cognitive Performance of 9–12 Years Old Children: Just Dance? A Randomized Controlled Trial
van den Berg, V., Saliasi, E., de Groot, R. H. M., Chinapaw, M. J. M., & Singh, A. S. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00174 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Exercise types and working memory components during development.
Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., & Kamijo, K. (2022) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2021.12.004 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Self-citation
A Review of Acute Aerobic Exercise and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Cognitive Functions and Their Potential Synergies
Steinberg, F., Pixa, N. H., & Fregni, F. (2019) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00534 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
“Furthermore, caution is needed as most evidence for the acute exercise effects on EFs have been derived based on EF tests mainly testing inhibition (Ludyga et al., 2016), and there are also several studies suggesting no effects or even detrimental effects (Basso and Suzuki, 2017).”
Background
Causes and Consequences of Interindividual Response Variability: A Call to Apply a More Rigorous Research Design in Acute Exercise-Cognition Studies
Herold, F., Törpel, A., Hamacher, D., Budde, H., Zou, L., Strobach, T., Müller, N. G., & Gronwald, T. (2021) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.682891 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
The relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction among adolescents in western China: a chain mediating model of anxiety and inhibitory control
Liu, Y., Xiao, T., Zhang, W., Xu, L., & Zhang, T.-C. (2024) · Psychology, Health & Medicine · doi:10.1080/13548506.2024.2357694 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“Consistent with prior investigations (Chan et al., 2022; Ludyga et al., 2016), our study reveals a compelling relationship between activity and individual inhibitory control.”
In Patients With Multiple Sclerosis, Both Objective and Subjective Sleep, Depression, Fatigue, and Paresthesia Improved After 3 Weeks of Regular Exercise
Bahmani, D. S., Kesselring, J., Papadimitriou, M., Bansi, J., Pühse, U., Gerber, M., Shaygannejad, V., Holsboer‐Trachsler, E., & Brand, S. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00265 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Self-citation
Exercise in the context of substance use treatment: key issues and future directions
Abrantes, A. M., & Blevins, C. E. (2019) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.04.001 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Move Your Body, Boost Your Brain: The Positive Impact of Physical Activity on Cognition across All Age Groups
Festa, F., Medori, S., & Macrì, M. (2023) · Biomedicines · doi:10.3390/biomedicines11061765 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
“, complex daily tasks or necessary examinations in educational settings) [149].”
Background
Effects of acute aerobic and resistance exercise on executive function: An ERP study
Wu, C., Karageorghis, C. I., Wang, C.-C., Chu, C., Kao, S., Hung, T., & Chang, Y. (2019) · Journal of science and medicine in sport · doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2019.07.009 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
A Single Bout of High-intensity Interval Exercise Increases Corticospinal Excitability, Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor, and Uncarboxylated Osteolcalcin in Sedentary, Healthy Males
Nicolini, C., Michalski, B., Toepp, S. L., Turco, C. V., D'Hoine, T., Harasym, D., Gibala, M. J., Fahnestock, M., & Nelson, A. J. (2020) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.03.042 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Acute Exercise Facilitates the N450 Inhibition Marker and P3 Attention Marker during Stroop Test in Young and Older Adults
Hsieh, S., Huang, C., Wu, C.-T., Chang, Y., & Hung, T. (2018) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm7110391 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
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Physical activity interventions can improve emotion regulation and dimensions of empathy in persons with multiple sclerosis: An exploratory study
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Effects of Physical Exercise on Autophagy and Apoptosis in Aged Brain: Human and Animal Studies
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“These modes of exercising seem to be similarly effective regarding cognitive improvement (23), but such improvement may not be seen in a short period of time (52).”
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Impact of high intensity interval exercise on executive function and brain derived neurotrophic factor in healthy college aged males
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Acute high‐intensity football games can improve children"s inhibitory control and neurophysiological measures of attention
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“As summarized in Figure 3, the change in interference effect of the reaction time from baseline to follow‐up was significantly greater for SRF than for SWF 19 ms, 95% CI [3, 35] (P = 0.”
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Acute Exercise and Neurocognitive Development in Preadolescents and Young Adults: An ERP Study
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Acute and Long-term Effects of Resistance Training on Executive Function
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“Considering the growing body of research that indicates positive effects of aerobic exercise on children’s cognitive performance (Álvarez-Bueno et al. 2017; Ludyga et al. 2016), it is likely that resistance training may also have a favorable impact on executive function in this age group.”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Effect of Acute Physical Exercise on Executive Functions and Emotional Recognition: Analysis of Moderate to High Intensity in Young Adults
Aguirre-Loaiza, H., Arenas, J., Padilla, I. A., Jiménez, A. M. F., Barbosa-Granados, S., Bermúdez, S. R., Ayala-Zuluaga, F., Núñez, C., & García-Más, A. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02774 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“Although it seems that physical condition is not a conditional requirement for temporary improvements and PE benefits (Ludyga et al., 2016).”
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Physical Activity Is Associated With Better Executive Function in University Students
Salas-Gómez, D., Fernández‐Gorgojo, M., Pozueta, A., Ceballos, I. D., Lamarain, M., Pérez, C., Kazimierczak, M., & Sánchez‐Juan, P. (2020) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2020.00011 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
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Efficacy of a 7-week dance (RCT) PE curriculum with different teaching pedagogies and levels of cognitive challenge to improve working memory capacity and motor competence in 8–10 years old children
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“However, a recent metaanalysis examined the moderating effect of aerobic fitness on the exercise-induced benefits on executive function, and failed to detect that the significant effect of moderate aerobic exercise on time-dependent measures of executive control differs when categorizing participants as low-fit, avera…”
Background
Effect of simultaneous exercise and cognitive training on executive functions, baroreflex sensitivity, and pre-frontal cortex oxygenation in healthy older adults: a pilot study
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Background
Effects of exergaming on hippocampal volume and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor levels in Parkinson’s disease
Schaeffer, E., Röeben, B., Granert, O., Hanert, A., Liepelt‐Scarfone, I., Leks, E., Otterbein, S., Saraykin, P., Busch, J., Synofzik, M., et al. (2021) · European Journal of Neurology · doi:10.1111/ene.15165 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
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Psychophysiological foundations of human physical activity behavior and motivation: theories, systems, mechanisms, evolution, and genetics
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No changes in corticospinal excitability, biochemical markers, and working memory after six weeks of high‐intensity interval training in sedentary males
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School Physical Activity Intervention Effect on Adolescents’ Performance in Mathematics
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“The transient benefits of a single exercise session for executive function are well-documented (Ludyga, Gerber, Brand, Holsboer-Trachsler, & Pühse, 2016) and may have further enhanced the learning effect during the subsequent practice of the working memory task.”
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Effects of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Response Inhibition in Adult Patients with ADHD
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BackgroundResult

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Authors: Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., Brand, S., Holsboer‐Trachsler, E., & Pühse, U.
Affiliations: University of Basel (CH)
Corresponding author: Ludyga, Sebastian
ORCID: Ludyga, Sebastian
Gerber, Markus
Brand, Serge
Pühse, Uwe
Venue: Psychophysiology
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2016-08-24
Volume: 53
Issue: 11
Pages: 1611-1626
ISSN: 0048-5772 (ISSN-L)
1469-8986
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12736
OpenAlex: W2518187356
Semantic Scholar: c6cbe3b03cf7ae80284796b5af70690b72a4c36d
Cited by: 589
References: 118
Citations by year: 2026: 54 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 79 · 2022: 81 · 2021: 55 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 70 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 3
FWCI: 5.17
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations: Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
edoc (University of Basel) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
Keywords: acute aerobic exercise, executive function, cardiorespiratory fitness, age differences, preadolescents, older adults, reaction time, task accuracy, cognitive performance
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Child, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Physical Fitness, Reaction Time, Exercise, Body Mass Index, Young Adult, Executive Function

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Acute effects of moderate aerobic exercise on specific aspects of executive function in different age and fitness groups: A meta‐analysis

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