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The acute effects of resistance exercise on cognitive function in healthy adults: a systematic review with multilevel meta-analysis

DOI:10.1007/s40279-019-01085-x
Authors:
Jan Wilke at Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt
Jan Wilke
Florian Giesche at Goethe University Frankfurt; Germany
Florian Giesche
  • Goethe University Frankfurt; Germany
Kristina Klier at Universität der Bundeswehr München
Kristina Klier
Lutz Vogt at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
Lutz Vogt
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Abstract and Figures

Background: Recent research has revealed a beneficial impact of chronic resistance exercise (RE) on brain function. However, it is unclear as to whether RE is also effective in an acute setting. Objective: To investigate the immediate effects of a single RE session on cognitive performance in healthy adults. Methods: A multilevel meta-analysis with random effects meta-regession model was used to pool the standardized mean differences (SMD) between RE and no-exercise (NEX) as well as between RE and aerobic exercise (AE). In addition to global cognitive function, effects on reported sub-domains (inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, attention) were examined. Results: Twelve trials with fair methodological quality (PEDro scale) were identified. Compared to NEX, RE had a positive effect on global cognition (SMD: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.90, p=0.004), but was not superior to AE (SMD: -0.10, 95% CI: 0.01 to -0.20, p=0.06). Regarding cognitive subdomains, RE, compared to NEX, improved inhibitory control (SMD: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.21 to 1.26, p=0.01) and cognitive flexibility (SMD: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.55, p=0.004). In contrast, working memory (SMD: 0.35, 95% CI: -0.05 to 0.75, p=0.07) and attention (SMD: 0.79, 95% CI: -0.42 to 2.00, p=0.16) remained unaffected. No significant differences in sub-domains were found between RE and AE (p>0.05). Conclusion: RE appears to be an appropriate method to immediately enhance cognitive function in healthy adults. Further studies clearly elucidating the impact of effect modifiers such as age, training intensity or training duration are warranted.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Sports Medicine (2019) 49:905–916
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01085-x
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Acute Eects ofResistance Exercise onCognitive Function inHealthy
Adults: ASystematic Review withMultilevel Meta‑Analysis
JanWilke1 · FlorianGiesche1· KristinaKlier1· LutzVogt1· EvaHerrmann2· WinfriedBanzer1
Published online: 6 March 2019
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Abstract
Background Recent research has revealed a beneficial impact of chronic resistance exercise (RE) on brain function. However,
it is unclear as to whether RE is also effective in an acute setting.
Objective To investigate the immediate effects of a single RE session on cognitive performance in healthy adults.
Methods A multilevel meta-analysis with random effects meta-regression model was used to pool the standardized mean
differences (SMD) between RE and no-exercise (NEX) as well as between RE and aerobic exercise (AE). In addition to
global cognitive function, effects on reported sub-domains (inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, atten-
tion) were examined.
Results Twelve trials with fair methodological quality (PEDro scale) were identified. Compared to NEX, RE had a positive
effect on global cognition (SMD: 0.56, 95% CI 0.22–0.90, p = 0.004), but was not superior to AE (SMD: −0.10, 95% CI
0.01 to −0.20, p = 0.06). Regarding cognitive sub-domains, RE, compared to NEX, improved inhibitory control (SMD:
0.73, 95% CI 0.21–1.26, p = 0.01) and cognitive flexibility (SMD: 0.36, 95% CI 0.17–0.55, p= 0.004). In contrast, working
memory (SMD: 0.35, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.75, p= 0.07) and attention (SMD: 0.79, 95% CI −0.42 to 2.00, p = 0.16) remained
unaffected. No significant differences in sub-domains were found between RE and AE (p > 0.05).
Conclusion RE appears to be an appropriate method to immediately enhance cognitive function in healthy adults. Further
studies clearly elucidating the impact of effect modifiers such as age, training intensity, or training duration are warranted.
* Jan Wilke
wilke@sport.uni-frankfurt.de
1 Department ofSports Medicine, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
2 Institute ofBiostatistics andMathematical Modeling, Goethe
University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Key Points
Previous literature shows that several weeks of resistance
training induces moderate improvements in cognitive
function.
A single bout of resistance exercise leads to moderate
improvements in cognitive function when compared to a
no-exercise control.
The acute effects of resistance exercise are not superior
to those occurring after aerobic exercise.
The impact of effect modifiers such as age, training dura-
tion, or training intensity needs to be further elucidated.
1 Introduction
Engagement in physical activity represents a well-estab-
lished method to elicit health-beneficial effects in a vari-
ety of peripheral organs such as the skeletal muscles, the
heart, or the lungs [1]. Over recent decades, the poten-
tial impact of regular movement on brain morphology
and function has evolved as another focus of research.
Accumulating evidence suggests the occurrence of train-
ing-induced cerebral adaptations that may help to pre-
vent or delay cognitive decline and neurodegenerative
diseases; according to data from animal experiments,
chronic exercise promotes synaptic plasticity, angiogen-
esis, and neurogenesis [2–4]. Human studies have, fur-
thermore, demonstrated the expression of brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as well as increases in hip-
pocampal brain volume, in response to several weeks of
training [5]. It has been hypothesized that the described
exercise-induced changes in the brain, functionally, result
in enhanced cognitive performance. This seems plausible
as, for instance, angiogenesis allows enhanced perfusion
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... A growing body of research has demonstrated a beneficial effect of acute exercise on cognition, particularly for tasks or task components with larger executive function (EF) demands [1][2][3][4][5]. Broadly defined, EF refers to a family of cognitive processes that enable the volitional control of thoughts, emotions, attention, and behaviors to complete task-oriented goals [6,7]. ...
... They are also a key determinant of successful aging [9] and efficiency of daily living, an indispensable part of everyday life [10,11] Accordingly, sustaining and improving EF has become an important public health issue. Critically, previous studies have shown that EF is enhanced following a single bout (i.e., dose) of exercise (also called acute exercise) [1][2][3][4]. ...
... Over the last decade, this area of study has continued to capture our attention. Recent reviews [4,19] have supported the acute RE-EF link, providing an additional focus on the importance of moderating variables; particularly, exercise intensity and EF domain. However, these recent reviews differ in two key respects. ...
Effects of Acute Resistance Exercise on Executive Function: A Systematic Review of the Moderating Role of Intensity and Executive Function Domain
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Background Research has demonstrated that there is a beneficial effect of acute exercise on cognitive function; however, the moderators of the acute resistance exercise (RE) effect on executive function (EF) are underestimated. This systematic review aims to clarify the effects of acute RE on EF by examining the moderating effect of exercise intensity (light, moderate, and vigorous) and EF domains (inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility), as well as their interactions. Methods The search strategy was conducted in four databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycARTICLES, and Cochrane Library) prior to January 29, 2022. Included studies had to: (1) investigate acute RE in adults with normal cognition and without diagnosed disease; (2) include a control group or control session for comparison; (3) include outcomes related to the core EF domains; and (4) be published in English. The methodological quality of the included studies was judged according to the PEDro scale guidelines. Results Nineteen studies were included which included a total of 692 participants. More than half of the outcomes (24/42, 57.14%) indicate that acute RE had a statistically significant positive effect on overall EF. In terms of RE intensity and EF domain, moderate intensity acute RE benefited EF more consistently than light and vigorous intensity acute RE. Acute RE-induced EF benefits were more often found for inhibitory control than for working memory and cognitive flexibility. When considering moderators simultaneously, measuring inhibitory control after light or moderate intensity RE and measuring working memory or cognitive flexibility after moderate intensity RE most often resulted in statistically significant positive outcomes. Conclusion Acute RE has a beneficial effect on EF, observed most consistently for inhibitory control following moderate intensity RE. Future studies should include all exercise intensities and EF domains as well as investigate other potential moderators to enable a better understanding of the benefits of acute RE on EF.
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... Concerning the same idea but in the reverse direction, evidence seems to support that physical activity, structured exercise, and sports practice, positively influence general executive functioning as well as inhibitory control performance and development. In the first place, resistance (Wilke et al., 2019) and aerobic (Levin et al., 2021;Oberste et al., 2019) exercise seem to be appropriate methods to acutely enhance inhibitory control. Secondly, it has been observed that long-term exercise programs have also improved inhibition, although the results in this field are somewhat inconsistent. ...
... A large body of previous evidence in the field has shown that a single bout of physical activity acutely improves cognitive performance in general, as well as inhibitory control in particular (Chang et al., 2012;Levin et al., 2021;Oberste et al., 2019;Wilke et al., 2019). However, cognitive performance at rest weakly predicts cognitive performance while exercising (Faria et al., 2021), so the influence of different moderating variables on this effect has been suggested (e.g., intensity (Brown and Bray, 2018), duration , rest period after exercise (Netz et al., 2016), type of exercise (Takahashi and Grove, 2019), fitness level (Ludyga et al., 2016), expertise (Schapschröer et al., 2016), fatigue or exertion (McCartney et al., 2021), etc.). ...
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... Most of the studies conducted so far have generally focused on aerobic exercise and it is only recently that researchers started to pay attention to strength training, which is also called muscle-strengthening activity or resistance exercise. Available evidence suggests that strength training may bring similar but not superior cognitive benefits to aerobic exercise (Wilke et al., 2019;Broadhouse et al., 2020;Landrigan et al., 2020;Coelho-Junior et al., 2022) and when combined with aerobic exercise, they may lead to greater cognitive benefits (Colcombe & Kramer 2003;Northey et al., 2018). ...
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... Se evidencia así que el ejercicio es un activador metabólico importante, de manera que estos procesos pueden ser un modo en el que el ejercicio influya sobre el sistema nervioso central y la función cognitiva. (32,33,34,35) Esta relación se ha estudiado mediante el análisis de la función del BDNF en varias moléculas de gestión de la energía en el hipocampo, como la proteína quinasa activada por adenosín monofosfato (AMPK), la proteína ubicuo creatina quinasa mitocondrial (uMtCK), la proteína de desacoplamiento mitocondrial 2 (UCP-2), la hormona grelina y el IGF-1. (36,37,38,39) La AMPK se ha identificado como un indicador de combustible que detecta niveles bajos de energía, la uMtCK participa en el mantenimiento de la energía y la transducción, mientras que la UCP-2 permite la fuga de protones a través de las membranas mitocondriales y el transporte electrónico mitocondrial en el desacoplamiento de la síntesis de adenosín trifosfato (ATP). ...
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