Aerobic Exercise and Cognition

Abstract

This literature review contains research about aerobic exercise and cognition. Three areas were addressed: timing of the exercise, the intensity of the exercise, and age of the participants. From these areas I was able to develop a few research questions. Does the timing of exercise affect cognitive performance? Is it better to perform exercise before a cognitive test? During? After? Does the time between exercise and the cognitive performance have an effect? Does the intensity of the exercise matter? Does exercise improve declining memory in older adults? Many articles presented with conflicting information. Two questions were answered. Moderate-intensity exercise appears to be the most beneficial exercise in association with a cognitive test and exercise in older adults has the potential to reduce risks of memory loss. The studies suggested that more research needs to be performed for researchers to understand how exercise affects the brain.