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

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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

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

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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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BackgroundResultInfluential
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Background
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Method
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Background
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Background
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“On the other hand, Ludyga et al. [43] reviewed the acute effects of MIAE on EF in participants aged over 50 years and reported positive and moderate effects (g = 0.67; p < 0.001) when reaction time was considered as the dependent variable.”
Influential
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“Several meta-analyses support this by showing a low-to-moderate effect size on the improvement of cognitive aspects, especially executive function, after aerobic exercise sessions [64,65].”
Background
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“[12] found that even a single bout of moderate aerobic exercise produced small to moderate improvements in executive function and that these improvements were larger in older than in younger individuals.”
Result
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“We considered the cognitive outcomes for a within–between interaction for a repeated measures ANOVA as the previous literature suggests small to moderate effects of PA on EF in children [2,3,9,40].”
BackgroundMethod
Acute stress imparts a transient benefit to task-switching that is not modulated following a single bout of exercise
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“, <60-min) benefit to executive function (Lambourne and Tomporowski, 2010; Chang et al., 2012; Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Background
The effects of acute aerobic and resistance exercise on the planning aspect of executive functions in children with preterm birth
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“Furthermore, previous meta-analyses also suggest that aerobic exercise (AE) is more bene ﬁ cial on EF performance in children [e ﬀ ect sizes (ESs) = 0.48 – 0.54] than for other populations (Ludyga et al., 2016; Oberste et al., 2019).”
Influential
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Background
High-Intensity Acute Exercise and Directed Forgetting on Memory Function
Pace, M., & Loprinzi, P. D. (2019) · Medicina · doi:10.3390/medicina55080446 · Cited by 4
“…appears to be heavily influenced by executive control [32], with executive control shown to be enhanced with both acute moderate-intensity [33,34] and high-intensity [35,36] exercise. executive control [32], with executive control shown to be enhanced with both acute moderate-intensity…”
Biological Markers of Cognition in Exercise: A Mini Review
Gowsi, K., Pal, G. K., & Subramanian, K. (2019) · International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Physiology · doi:10.5530/ijcep.2019.6.3.22 · Cited by 3
“Recently, a meta-analysis study reported that a single bout of moderate aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and working memory in preadolescent children and older adults.[27] This documents the effect of acute exercise on cognition especially executive functions.”
Background
Brain development and maturation in the context of learning
Cachia, A., Ribeiro, S. T. G., Chiao, J. Y., Friston, K. J., Hillman, C. H., Linzarini, A., Lipina, S. J., Howard‐Jones, P. A., Dubois, J., Jay, T. M., et al. (2022) · UNESCO MGIEP eBooks · doi:10.56383/zevv4282 · Cited by 4
Exercise and Acute Cognitive Enhancement
Etnier, J. L., Kibildis, S. W., & DuBois, S. L. (2024) · Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · doi:10.1007/7854_2024_492 · Cited by 3
Exercising4Cognition: Can Short Bouts of Aerobic Exercise Improve Cognitive Performance in Healthy Adults for Primary Health Prevention? Previous Findings and Suggestions for the Future
Herbert, C. (2025) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13040368 · Cited by 3
“These effects might depend on whether cognitive performance in these tasks is investigated immediately after the exercise, for example during exercise recovery, or after longer retention intervals [20,21,23,24].”
Brawn and Brainpower: Acute Resistance Exercise Improves Behavioral and Neuroelectric Measures of Executive Function
Baumgartner, N. W., Belbis, M. D., Noh, K., Hirai, D. M., Amireault, S., & Kao, S. (2025) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.70171 · Cited by 3
“substantial compared to the effect of acute aerobic exercise on executive function in young adults (Hedges' g = 0.20, 95% CI 0.07–0.34) ( Ludyga et al. 2016), highlighting the potential of acute RE to enhance executive functions.”
Influential
Effects of physical activity on cognition, behavior, and hyperactivity symptoms in elementary school children with adhd
Carmen, C., Agustín, A.-A., Javier, C.-S., & Alberto, R.-A. (2025) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105913 · Cited by 4
Effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive fatigue relief: a randomised self-controlled study
Zhang, Y., Wang, T., Chen, M., Lou, H., Ye, J., Shi, J., & Xu, W. (2023) · International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1612197x.2023.2229358 · Cited by 3
“A meta-analysis research indicated that individuals with an immature executive function system (preadolescent children) and those who are experiencing age-related declines in higher order cognitive functions (older adults) tend to derive greater bene ﬁ ts from exercise (Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Acute and chronic effects of exercise intensity on cognitive functions of fastball athletes
Kapur, S., & Joshi, G. (2024) · Cognitive Neurodynamics · doi:10.1007/s11571-024-10083-3 · Cited by 3
Menstrual cycle status does not impact exercise-based changes in cerebral blood flow or executive function benefits
Persaud, P., Belfry, G. R., & Heath, M. D. (2024) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2024.2382566 · Cited by 3
“An extensive literature has shown that a single bout of aerobic and/or resistance exercise benefits EF for up to 60 min (for recent meta-analyses see Ishihara et al., 2021; Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Intervention effect of a single exercise session on executive function in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a three-level meta-analysis
Zhao, L., Lu, H., Yang, Q., & Zhang, D. (2025) · BMC Pediatrics · doi:10.1186/s12887-025-05846-8 · Cited by 5
“However, debate is ongoing regarding whether the effects of a single exercise session on executive function are selective (targeting specific subcomponents) or general (enhancing all subcomponents) [60, 61].”
Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Executive Function in Sedentary Older Adults
Minji, K. I. M., Cho, C., Lee, C., & Kohzuki, M. (2016) · Asian Journal of Human Services · doi:10.14391/ajhs.11.98 · Cited by 3
Evaluating the efficacy of an iPad® app in determining a single bout of exercise benefit to executive function
Tari, B., & Heath, M. D. (2021) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/s13428-021-01735-x · Cited by 4
“Instead, our findings add to convergent literature asserting that a single bout of exercise improves executive function (Chang et al., 2012; Lambourne & Tomporowski, 2010; Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Background
Difficulties With Executive Function Are Associated With Risky Health Behaviors Among Young Adult Congenital Heart Defect Survivors
Fox, K. R., Vannatta, K. A., & Jackson, J. L. (2022) · The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing · doi:10.1097/jcn.0000000000000941 · Cited by 3
Grand challenges in cognition and movement
Jansen, P. (2022) · Frontiers in Cognition · doi:10.3389/fcogn.2022.1009713 · Cited by 4
“When the reaction time is considered, children before adolescence and older adults benefit most (Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Background
Legs move, thoughts flow: Physical exercise influences creative thinking
Qingyang, L. I., Yin, J., & Luo, J. (2022) · Advances in Psychological Science · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1042.2023.00455 · Cited by 3
Mobile Electroencephalography Reveals Differences in Cortical Processing During Exercises With Lower and Higher Cognitive Demands in Preadolescent Children
Becker, L., Büchel, D., Lehmann, T., Kehne, M., & Baumeister, J. (2023) · Pediatric Exercise Science · doi:10.1123/pes.2021-0212 · Cited by 4
The effects of a single bout of high-intense strength exercise on cognitive function and postural dual-task control in older adults
Vints, W. A. J., Ahwaz, F. G., Westhof-Jacobs, C., Drozdova-Statkevičienė, M., Česnaitienė, V. J., Ziv, G., Pauwels, L., Levin, O., Verbunt, J., & Masiulis, N. (2023) · International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1612197x.2023.2255604 · Cited by 4
“…that even a single bout of physical exercise may transiently enhance cognitive and motor functioning (Y.K. Chang et al., 2012a; Hsieh et al., 2016a; Ludyga et al., 2016; McSween et al., 2019; Netz et al., 2016; Netz et al., 2023; Park et al., 2021; Thomas et al., 2016; Wanner et al., 2020).”
Acute effects of moderate-intensity continuous physical exercise performed with different amounts of muscle mass on executive function in healthy young adults: a randomized trial
Morais, M. J., de Oliveira, V. N., Viana, R. B., Andrade, M. S., Vancini, R. L., Arida, R. M., Costa, G. D. C. T., Campos, M. H., Vieira, C. A., Weiss, K., et al. (2023) · EXCLI journal · doi:10.17179/excli2023-6434 · Cited by 3
“Several previous studies have reported that moderate-intensity aerobic physical exercise can improve performance on several tests that assess executive functions (including different versions of the Stroop test) (Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Background
Effects of volume-matched acute exercise on metacognition in late middle-aged adults: The roles of exercise intensity and duration
Geng, X., Ai, J., Wang, C., Chen, F., & Chang, Y. (2023) · Progress in brain research · doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.11.002 · Cited by 3
Bringing the field into the lab: a novel virtual reality outdoor march simulator for evaluating cognitive and physical performance
Kimel-Naor, S., Ketko, I., Yanovich, R., Gottlieb, A., Bahat, Y., Ben‐Gal, O., Heled, Y., & Plotnik, M. (2024) · Virtual Reality · doi:10.1007/s10055-024-01013-z · Cited by 3
“In contrary, it has been shown that moderate-intensity physical exercise improved post activity executive functions such as accuracy and reaction time (Davranche and Audiffren 2004; Kamijo and Abe 2019; Chang et al. 2012; Ludyga et al. 2016; Tempest et al. 2017; Sanders et al. 2019).”
Acute Effect of Simultaneous Exercise and Cognitive Tasks on Cognitive Functions in Elderly Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Ayed, I. B., Ammar, A., Boujelbane, M. A., Salem, A., Naija, S., Amor, S. B., Trabelsi, K., Jahrami, H., Chtourou, H., Trabelsi, Y., et al. (2024) · Diseases · doi:10.3390/diseases12070148 · Cited by 3
“In future studies, a larger sample size and the consideration of various neurotrophic factors, such as BDNF or IGF-1, are suggested to improve our understanding.”
Background
A 10-min reduction in cerebral blood flow does not alter post-intervention executive function: evidence from lower-body negative pressure
Riesen, J. V., Shirzad, M., Edgar, C., Tari, B., & Heath, M. D. (2024) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-024-06879-8 · Cited by 3
“These are notable considerations given some research showing that high-fit individuals demonstrate better performance on EF tasks (Ludyga et al. 2016) and because biologically male participants show increased peripheral resistance to LBNP than biologically female counterparts (Frey and Hoffler…”
Acute effect of aerobic exercise on inhibitory control and task-related heart rate variability in preadolescent children
Berger, M., Bruggisser, F., Schwarz, A., Leuenberger, R., Hanke, M., Gerber, M., & Ludyga, S. (2025) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114820 · Cited by 3
Self-citation
Does a Single Bout of Aerobic Exercise Improve Set Shifting in Healthy Young Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Oberste, M., Sharma, S., & Zimmer, P. (2019) · OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1903052 · Cited by 3
The Association between the Binding Processes of Working Memory and Vascular Risk Profile in Adults
Bika, E., Μoraitou, D., Masoura, E. V., Kolios, G. C., Παπαντωνίου, Γ., Sofologi, M., Papaliagkas, V. T., & Ntritsos, G. (2021) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci11091140 · Cited by 3
Boosting inhibition control process by knitting at school
Sonnier, F., Lussiana, E., & Guéraud, S. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1062001 · Cited by 3
Physical education class can improve acute inhibitory control in elementary school students
Franco‐Alvarenga, P. E., Brietzke, C., Coelho‐Júnior, H. J., Canestri, R., Nagata, E. Y., Asano, R. Y., & Pires, F. O. (2019) · Motriz Revista de Educação Física · doi:10.1590/s1980-6574201900020007 · Cited by 3
Effect of Cold Water Intake During Exercise in Heat on Cognitive Function
Lee, Y., Yun, S., Hwang, J., Lee, H., Jung, A. R., & Lee, D. T. (2021) · Exercise Science · doi:10.15857/ksep.2021.30.1.122 · Cited by 3
Investigating Cortical Buffering Effects of Acute Moderate Intensity Exercise: A cTBS Study Targeting the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Manocchio, F., & Lowe, C. J. (2021) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2021.645326 · Cited by 3
Physiological, Anatomical and Metabolic Correlates of Aerobic Fitness in Human Primary Motor Cortex: A Multimodal Study
Wang, Y. R., Lefebvre, G., Picard, M., Lamoureux-Andrichuk, A., Ferland, M. C., Therrien-Blanchet, J.-M., Boré, A., Tremblay, J., Descoteaux, M., Champoux, F., et al. (2023) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.007 · Cited by 4
Acute Cognitive Effects of Physical Activity for People who have Dementia
Jordan, E.-K., Peel, E., & Hogervorst, E. (2019) · International Journal of Neurodegenerative Disorders · doi:10.23937/2643-4539/1710009 · Cited by 3
Acute Cardiopulmonary Response to Interval and Continuous Exercise in Older Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study
Linares, A. M., Goncin, N., Stuckey, M. I., Burgomaster, K. A., & Dogra, S. (2020) · The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000003933 · Cited by 3
“Although there is a growing body of intervention work (10,22,37) and acute response studies (27,29) in older samples of individuals with chronic conditions, there is a lack of data on the acute response to exercise in older adults who are otherwise healthy.”
Background
Exercise-induced neuroplasticity
Neva, J. L. (2024) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-820480-1.00218-7 · Cited by 4
Physical activity, cognitive health and learning in youth: a narrative umbrella review
Unterguggenberger, S. (2025) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph23010011 · Cited by 2
Can placebo and nocebo affect post‐exercise executive function?
Wang, Y., Gao, F., Guo, L., & Mao, Z. (2023) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/sjop.12900 · Cited by 2
Sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise improves executive function during the early stage of sport-related concussion recovery
Rahimi, A., Ayaz, A., Edgar, C., Jeyarajan, G., Putzer, D., Robinson, M., & Heath, M. D. (2025) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2025.2453337 · Cited by 2
“As such, our findings accord an expansive literature reporting that a single bout of exercise provides a selective EF benefit (Chang et al., 2012; Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescent Volleyball Players
Liu, X., Xiao, J., & Chen, H. (2025) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.1177/00315125251328726 · Cited by 2
“Among these, norepinephrine and dopamine are essential for optimizing attentional control, working memory, and cognitive ﬂ exibility (Berridge et al., 2006; Ludyga et al., 2016).”
The Effect of Flywheel Resistance Training on Executive Function in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Cota, A. D. R., Bedoya, É. A. P., Agostinho, P. A. G., Leite, L. B., Schneider, A., Forte, P. M., Monteiro, A. M., Branquinho, L., Teixeira, J. E., de Oliveira, C. E. P., et al. (2025) · Physiologia · doi:10.3390/physiologia5030022 · Cited by 4
Cognitive endurance after intense physical effort
Holgado, D., Leubaz, L., Ruggeri, P., Borragán, G., Luque‐Casado, A., Bekinschtein, T. A., Sanabria, D., & Place, N. (2025) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115874 · Cited by 4
Acute 3.5-minute light-intensity exercise enhances executive function and psychological mood in children
Naito, T., Oka, K., & Ishii, K. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-27358-2 · Cited by 3
“Following a previous study 43,52 , channels were grouped into three regions: R-PFC (channels 1, 2, 3, and 4), M-PFC (channels 7, 8, 9, and 10), and L-PFC (channels 13, 14, 15, and 16).”
Attentional processing in athletes and non-athletes
Lauro, J. G., Papadakis, Z., & Williams, N. (2026) · Sport Sciences for Health · doi:10.1007/s11332-026-01679-9 · Cited by 2
“…investigations examining the impact of long-term exercise on cognition have yielded mixed results, with some reporting no significant relationship [37] and others finding a positive association [14, 71], there is evidence indicating that non-sport-specific exercise does confer positive benefits…”
Let’s Get Physical: Physical Activity as a Team Intervention at Work
Blake, B. D., Baur, J. E., & Buckley, M. R. (2022) · Group & Organization Management · doi:10.1177/10596011221101247 · Cited by 3
“In the sport psychology literature, there is a broad consensus that PA is related to improvements in cognitive functions, such as task initiation, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and control over impulses and emotions (Ludyga et al., 2016).”
Background
The Effects of Exercise in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Akıncı, M. A., Uzun, N., & Gökçen, C. (2022) · Çocuk ve Gençlik Ruh Sağlığı Dergisi / Turkish Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.4274/tjcamh.galenos.2021.81300 · Cited by 2

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 › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › 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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