Effects of acute exercise on cognitive function: A meta-review of 30 systematic reviews with meta-analyses.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Multilevel meta-analysis of 30 systematic reviews with meta-analyses of acute exercise intervention studies
PubMed 39883421 · doi:10.1037/bul0000460
What was done
Authors conducted a multilevel meta-analysis using a random-effects model and tests of moderators to evaluate the effects of acute exercise interventions on cognitive function. The meta-review synthesized data from 30 systematic reviews with meta-analyses, comprising 383 unique studies and 18,347 participants.
What was found
Acute exercise significantly improved cognitive function with a small-to-medium effect (44 SMDs, mean SMD = 0.33, 95% CI [0.24, 0.42], p < .001). Significant improvements were found across all examined cognitive domains: attention (mean SMD = 0.37), mixed/other (mean SMD = 0.36), executive function (mean SMD = 0.36), memory (mean SMD = 0.23), and information processing (mean SMD = 0.20). Assessment timing was a significant moderator (p < .05), showing the largest benefits when cognition was assessed after exercise (mean SMD = 0.32). Age, cognitive status, exercise intensity, type, and duration did not significantly moderate outcomes (all ps > .05).
Why it matters
This meta-review aggregates broad meta-analytic data demonstrating that a single bout of exercise reliably enhances diverse cognitive domains. The lack of moderation by age or exercise parameters indicates that acute exercise is a broadly applicable strategy for cognitive facilitation.
Limits
As an umbrella meta-review, the analysis is constrained by the quality, reporting standards, and potential primary study overlap of the included systematic reviews. The abstract does not report long-term persistence of the acute cognitive gains or safety/adverse event outcomes.