Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40049759›Full record

SynthesisBritish journal of sports medicine2025

Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition, memory and executive function: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis.

Ben Singh, Hunter Bennett, Aaron Miatke, Dorothea Dumuid, Rachel Curtis, Ty Ferguson, Jacinta Brinsley, Kimberley Szeto, Jasmine M Petersen, Claire Gough and 6 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in British journal of sports medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07400432 (Acute Effects of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise Versus High-Intensity Interval Training on Cognitive Performance and Psychophysiological Responses in Physically Active Adults), which is not on this map. Cited by 75 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
75citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07400432 naenrolling by invitationnot on this map

Acute Effects of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise Versus High-Intensity Interval Training on Cognitive Performance and Psychophysiological Responses in Physically Active Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorQassim UniversityRan2025 to 2026Enrolled38ConditionsSustained Attention, Cognitive Performance, Cognitive Performance During Physical ActivityArmsModerate-Intensity Continuous Exercise (MICE), High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

75 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Article

15 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Ben SinghAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia ben.singh@unisa.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7227-2406
Hunter BennettAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8541-9104
Aaron MiatkeAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Dorothea DumuidAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3057-0963
Rachel CurtisAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Ty FergusonAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Jacinta BrinsleyAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Kimberley SzetoAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Jasmine M PetersenAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Claire GoughCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Emily EglitisAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Catherine Em SimpsonAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Christina L EkegrenRehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7656-6209
Ashleigh E SmithAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Kirk I EricksonUniversity of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Carol MaherAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo evaluate systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of exercise on general cognition, memory and executive function across all populations and ages.

methodsSystematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs evaluating the effects of exercise on general cognition, memory and executive function were eligible. Data extraction and risk of bias scoring were conducted in duplicate. The A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2) was used to assess the risk of bias. Effect sizes were pooled using random effects models and reported as standardised mean differences (SMD). Subgroup analyses were conducted for participant and intervention characteristics.General cognition, memory and executive function. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE via OVID, Emcare, ProQuest Central, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, PsycINFO, Scopus, Sport Discus and Web of Science.

results133 systematic reviews (2,724 RCTs and 258 279 participants) were included. Exercise significantly improved general cognition (SMD=0.42), memory (SMD=0.26) and executive function (SMD=0.24). Memory and executive function improvements from exercise were greater for children and adolescents than for adults and older adults. Those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder exhibited greater improvement in executive function than other populations. Effects were generally larger for low- and moderate-intensity interventions. Shorter interventions (1-3 months) and exergames (video games that require physical movement) had the largest effects on general cognition and memory. Findings remained statistically significant after excluding reviews rated as low and critically low quality.

conclusionsThese findings provide strong evidence that exercise, even light intensity, benefits general cognition, memory and executive function across all populations, reinforcing exercise as an essential, inclusive recommendation for optimising cognitive health. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO ID: CRD42023468991.

Indexed as

CognitionExecutive FunctionExerciseExercise TherapyMemoryAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityHumansMeta-Analysis as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSystematic Reviews as TopicAgingExercisesPsychiatryRisk factor

Identifiers

PMID40049759
PMCPMC12229068

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.