Shijie Liu1, Qian Yu2, Zaimin Li3, Paolo Marcello Cunha4, Yanjie Zhang5, Zhaowei Kong6, Wang Lin7, Sitong Chen1, Yujun Cai1. 1. School of Physical Education and Sport Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China. 2. Exercise and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. 3. School of Wushu, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China. 4. Metabolism, Nutrition, and Exercise Laboratory, Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil. 5. Health and Exercise Science Laboratory, Institute of Sports Science, seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. 6. Faculty of Education, University of Macao, Macao, China. 7. Department of Physical Education, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
Abstract
Background: Physical exercises can affect executive function both acutely and chronically, with different mechanisms for each moment. Currently, only a few reviews have elaborated on the premise that different types of exercises have different mechanisms for improving executive function. Therefore, the primary purpose of our systematic review was to analyze the effects of acute and chronic exercises on executive function in children and adolescents. Objective: We identified acute and chronic exercise studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of executive function in children and adolescents that reported overall effect, heterogeneity, and publication bias of acute and chronic exercises on executive function. Methods: We searched for RCTs of exercise interventions in children and adolescents from databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), and Wanfang, from January 1 2009 to December 31 2019. We performed methodological quality evaluations on the included literature using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale (PEDro) and graded evidence with a meta-analysis using Stata 12.0 software. Results: In total, 36 RCTs were included (14 acute exercises, 22 chronic exercises); the overall results of the meta-analysis (4,577 students) indicated that acute exercises significantly improved working memory (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.89 to -0.56; p < 0.001), inhibitory control (SMD = -0.25; 95% CI -0.40 to -0.09; p = 0.002), and cognitive flexibility (SMD = -0.34; 95% CI -0.55 to -0.14; p < 0.005), whereas chronic exercises significantly improved working memory (SMD = -0.54; 95% CI -0.74 to -0.33; p < 0.001), inhibitory control (SMD = -0.30; 95% CI -0.38 to -0.22; p < 0.001), and cognitive flexibility (SMD = -0.34, 95 % CI -0.48 to -0.20, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Acute and chronic exercises can effectively improve the executive function of children and adolescents. The effects on inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility are considered as small effect sizes, while the effects on working memory are considered as moderate effect size. Limited by the quantity and quality of the included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified with more high-quality studies.
Background: Physical exercises can affect executive function both acutely and chronically, with different mechanisms for each moment. Currently, only a few reviews have elaborated on the premise that different types of exercises have different mechanisms for improving executive function. Therefore, the primary purpose of our systematic review was to analyze the effects of acute and chronic exercises on executive function in children and adolescents. Objective: We identified acute and chronic exercise studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of executive function in children and adolescents that reported overall effect, heterogeneity, and publication bias of acute and chronic exercises on executive function. Methods: We searched for RCTs of exercise interventions in children and adolescents from databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), and Wanfang, from January 1 2009 to December 31 2019. We performed methodological quality evaluations on the included literature using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale (PEDro) and graded evidence with a meta-analysis using Stata 12.0 software. Results: In total, 36 RCTs were included (14 acute exercises, 22 chronic exercises); the overall results of the meta-analysis (4,577 students) indicated that acute exercises significantly improved working memory (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.89 to -0.56; p < 0.001), inhibitory control (SMD = -0.25; 95% CI -0.40 to -0.09; p = 0.002), and cognitive flexibility (SMD = -0.34; 95% CI -0.55 to -0.14; p < 0.005), whereas chronic exercises significantly improved working memory (SMD = -0.54; 95% CI -0.74 to -0.33; p < 0.001), inhibitory control (SMD = -0.30; 95% CI -0.38 to -0.22; p < 0.001), and cognitive flexibility (SMD = -0.34, 95 % CI -0.48 to -0.20, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Acute and chronic exercises can effectively improve the executive function of children and adolescents. The effects on inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility are considered as small effect sizes, while the effects on working memory are considered as moderate effect size. Limited by the quantity and quality of the included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified with more high-quality studies.
Authors: Falonn Contreras-Osorio; Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán; Enrique Cerda-Vega; Luis Chirosa-Ríos; Rodrigo Ramírez-Campillo; Christian Campos-Jara Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-03-24 Impact factor: 3.390