Exercise-induced changes in working memory are more beneficial to physically healthy people.

Running / Pexels

Physical exercise is well known to be linked to cognitive functions of both adults and infants. The mediators of this arrangement, on the other hand, are poorly studied and interpreted. Furthermore, experiments have traditionally concentrated on athletic fitness rather than team activities, which are often easier to incorporate in school environments.

In all of these areas, a new paper released in BMC Public Health aimed to add to the science literature. A total of 36 teenagers (16 females, 20 males) took part in 60-minute soccer and 60-minute sitting trials split by one week. The information processing, inhibitory function, and working memory abilities of the participants were then assessed. They were then split into two groups based on how well they worked together during the study.

The researchers also checked the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the blood of the volunteers, which is thought to play a role in the connection between physical fitness, physical exercise, and enhanced cognition.

Overall information processing response times were faster in the high-fit category, according to the study's findings, which are consistent with previous studies. In addition, high-fit individuals' response times did not vary between exercise and resting trials, whereas low-fit individuals performed slightly better after rest than after exercise.

Soccer / Pexels

The fact that 60 minutes of soccer was shown to be useful for working memory only in the high-fit category is particularly intriguing. As a result, previous experiments have shown that physical fitness mediates the association between physical activity and cognitive changes. The authors theorize that variations in relative strength may be to blame, since the low-fit group exerted themselves considerably more during the exercise.

Despite the fact that exercise has little effect on BDNF levels in the blood, this suggests that BDNF does not play a role in the connection between physical activity and increased cognition, contrary to previously hypothesized pathways. However, the authors point out that the amount of exertion could not have been enough to boost BDNF levels during exercise, and that only blood levels of BDNF were tested, not brain levels.

Fitness / Pexels

There are some drawbacks, such as the lack of consideration for social background and the fact that the study was cross-sectional rather than longitudinal, which provide valuable possibilities for future studies.

Understanding the connection between physical health and increased cognition is critical to ensuring the best possible learning and growth opportunities for children. Because of the use of a competitive sport in this report, it is of special interest to schools. The fact that physically active people benefit the most from exercise's cognitive effects fills a significant void in the literature on this relationship and how to better maximize it.