Abstract
Research findings reveal a relationship between acute bouts of exercise and procedural/declarative memory. Prior systematic reviews report small/moderate effects of acute exercise on episodic long-term declarative memory. A somewhat overlooked issue is the influence of exercise on specific types of episodic memory processing. The primary focus of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of acute bouts of exercise prior to, during, and following encoding on free-, cued-recall, and recognition episodic memory. PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases were entered, and 42 experiments were subject to meta-analysis. Exercise prior to encoding improved memory (d = 0.23) and affected free-recall (d = 0.40) tests of memory more than cued-recall (d = 0.08) or recognition (d = −0.06) memory. Exercise following encoding improved memory (d = 0.33) and affected recognition (d = 0.62) memory more than free- (d = 0.19) or cued-recall (d = 0.14) memory. Exercise during encoding did not influence memory (d = −0.04). Moderator analyses revealed that exercise before encoding impacted memory differentially on the basis of age, exercise type, and test-timing. When exercise occurred after encoding, age and exercise type, but not timing of the test influenced memory performance. Exercise before and after encoding has selective effects on episodic memory. Additional experiments that evaluate how bouts of exercise influence memory encoding are warranted.
Systematic review registration:
PROSPERO, identifier CRD42020202784.
1 Introduction
There has been a marked increase in recent years in studies of the effects of individual bouts of exercise on long-term memory. Much of this research activity was spurred by several literature reviews that provide clear support for the view that acute exercise enhances memory (Lambourne and Tomporowski, ; Roig et al., ). Reviewers conclude that the strength of the acute exercise-memory relation is moderated by such characteristics as the type of exercise performed and its intensity and duration, the temporal relation between exercise and encoding, and the delay between encoding and testing. Questions remain, however, concerning the degree to which the impact of exercise depends on the manner in which memories are processed, stored, and retrieved. Answers to these questions have implications for both researchers and practitioners who are interested in designing exercise or broader physical activity interventions that can maximally affect memory and learning.
A meta-analytic review of the exercise-memory literature conducted by Roig et al. () categorized memory tasks in terms of short-term and long-term memory tests. Studies were classified on the basis of the time between encoding and testing, with delays longer than 2 min categorized as long-term memory. Further, long-term memory tests were divided into declarative (episodic or semantic) and non-declarative (procedural) memory tests. The results of seven experiments indicated that acute bouts of exercise enhanced performance on long-term procedural and declarative memory tests, with moderate to large effect sizes. More recently, Loprinzi et al. () focused specifically on the effects of acute bouts of exercise on short-term and long-term episodic memory. The authors' review of 25 experiments provided information concerning the temporal relation between exercise bouts and encoding (prior, during, and following encoding) and such study characteristics as exercise type, intensity, and duration. Exercise performed prior to and following encoding enhanced performance, with larger effect sizes when exercise was performed following encoding than prior to encoding. Exercise performed during encoding had a negative effect on episodic memory.
The meta-analytic reviews by Roig et al. () and Loprinzi et al. () and others (Lambourne and Tomporowski, ) support a causal relation between acute exercise and memory storage. These reviews also clarify exercise parameters and individual difference factors that influence the strength of the relation. Yet to be addressed, however, are questions concerning the uniformity of acute exercise effects across different forms of memory. The memory tests employed in experiments evaluated in previous reviews vary widely and the cognitive processes involved in performing individual tests cannot be clearly delineated. Roig et al. (), for example, included tests of verbal fluency, associative memory, paragraph reading, code-substitution, object recognition tasks, and an assortment of word recall tests. Similarly, Loprinzi et al. () included studies that employed the California Verbal Learning Test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), paragraph recall, image recognition, recall of filmed scenarios, and laboratory constructed tests. The consensus among re-searchers is that humans possess several different types of memory, all of which are maintained via underlying brain networks (Schacter et al., ; Squire and Wixted, 2011; Eichenbaum, ; Loprinzi et al., ) and are controlled by cognitive processes that are involved in encoding and retrieval (Wilson and Criss, 2017).
The present systematic review was designed to provide clarity concerning the effects of exercise on long-term memory by focusing on episodic memory, a type of declarative memory that is involved in storing information about temporally arranged or dated events. Acute exercise experiments typically involve asking participants to study material (e.g., words) in conjunction with a bout of exercise. Episodic memory is typically measured via tests of recognition, cued-recall, or free-recall. Recognition tests are characterized by methods in which a participant is asked to identify whether or not a specific item (e.g., word) was previously presented. Cued-recall tests often involve the presentation of pairs of items (e.g., word pairs), one of which is to be remembered while the other serves as a priming stimulus that assists in the reintegration of the targeted item. Free-recall tests require an individual to remember target items without the aid of cues. Recognition memory test performance is typically considered easier than cued- and free-recall test performance because the participant is not required to generate a memory of the item and then determine if it was previously seen (Malmberg et al., ).
Numerous psychological theories of memory have been proposed to explain how sensory experiences are manipulated and stored in memory and how stored memories are retrieved (Malmberg et al., ). An important contribution to memory research was a model of memory processing introduced by Atkinson and Shiffrin (, ). Central to their theory was conceptualization of the processes of a short-term memory buffer and its relation to long-term storage and retrieval. Theory-based experimentation over the course of five decades led to several modifications and an eventual reconceptualization of the processes involved in recall and recognition memory. The Search of Associative Memory (SAM) (Figure 1) (Raaijmakers and Shiffrin, ; Gillund and Shiffrin, ) and Retrieving Effectively from Memory (REM) (Figure 2) (Cox and Shiffrin, ) models emerged; they continue to guide contemporary memory research (Malmberg et al., ). As shown in Figure 1, the SAM model of episodic memory is based on the assumption that experienced events are held in short-term memory where rehearsal processes create separate memory traces that strengthen as new information is added. Retrieval consists of a search process in which multiple traces are sampled; selection is based on trace strength. Long-term forgetting is thought to be due to interference and search termination rather than a function of a decay in trace strength. Central to the SAM model is the prediction that memory retrieval reflects a dual-coding process that includes memories of the items to be re-membered and memories of the environmental context present when items are studied. During encoding, the environmental setting provides “background” information (e.g., location, mood, temperature, arousal) that is not experimentally varied and is not the focus of the experiment. Recall and recognition memory performance reflects the combination of the strength of individual memory traces for items and for context. As shown in Figure 2, the SAM-REM model makes explicit assumptions concerning strengths of item and context memory and how trial-to-trial variations (e.g., list length, item similarity) create “noise” that affects memory retrieval (Criss and Shiffrin, ). The environmental context in which items are encoded contribute to how well memory search leads to an appropriate match. Retrieval from long-term memory involves sampling of memory traces and a reconstructive process that involves probabilistic judgements based on the relevance of sample traces (Criss and Shiffrin, ).
Figure 1
Figure 2

The Retrieving Effectively from Memory (REM) model. A schematic depiction of the recognition process. A memory probe is formed from a combination of the current context and both physical and semantic features of the test item. Item features are gradually sampled into the probe which is continually compared in parallel to all the traces in memory, each of which is activated to a degree depending on the similarity between features in the probe and those in the trace. To make a recognition decision, a participant tracks changes in the overall level of activation of these traces – termed “familiarity – from an initial level determined by context alone.” Modified from Cox and Shiffrin (
The SAM-REM models describe different processes for free-recall and recognition. For free recall, there is a competition among memory traces; selection is based on how well an internally generated context cue matches the context stored in a trace. Episodic recognition memory does not require the generation of past episodic details from memory. All that is required is to distinguish an item that is presented during the context of encoding from foils that were not presented. Free recall is often described synonymously as remembrance, whereas recognition reflects familiarity. Confusion during recognition memory is created by noise associated with items experienced in different environmental contexts.
Acute bouts of exercise are hypothesized to produce systemic changes in physiological arousal and alterations in neural noise that affect neural networks involved in executive processing and mental performance (McMorris,
The standard view of salutary interventions, such as physical activity and exercise, is that they promote global brain health, which leads to gains in cognition (Hillman et al.,
The present review extends previous literature analyses (Roig et al.,
2 Materials and methods
The primary aim of the present paper was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of acute bouts of exercise on episodic memory. The systematic review protocol was registered with International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews on 27th August 2020 (CRD42020202784) and adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). We undertook a two-stage search process to identify relevant articles for the meta-analysis; first, a search of scientific databases, and then a manual search of the reference lists of included studies for additional papers not previously identified. We also conducted a follow-up search procedure in February 2023 to identify any additional references that were subject to our systematic review. The secondary search methods were identical to the primary search. These methods for systematic review and meta-analysis were in line with those used previously (Siddaway et al., 2019).
Three commercial platforms (Pubmed, Scopus and EBSCO) hosting six scientific databases (CINAHL Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus with Full Text) were searched in March 2020 and then once again in November 2020. Databases were searched in English. The PRISMA flow diagram illustrating retrieval is presented in Figure 3. A detailed flow diagram is presented in the Supplementary material. Following searches, reference lists of identified articles and previous systematic reviews were reviewed to identify further relevant studies. As shown in Figure 3, the database search identified 6,855 references. In 1,708 duplicates were identified and removed, leaving 5,147 references for screening. The first screening phase (titles and abstracts) yielded 90 references for full text screening after 5,057 references were excluded. Of these, 48 were excluded, leaving 42 to meet our inclusion criteria. The review considered studies published in English; no date limits were set. Both control trials and cross-over trials were included. Studies were excluded when they did not meet the key inclusion criteria described below. Gray literature was not consulted, on the basis that most rigorous studies will include peer-reviewed consideration. The secondary search resulted in 967 references. Seven hundred and sixty five duplicates were identified and removed, leaving 202 for full text screening. The initial screening phase (title and abstract) yielded 11 references for full text review. Following the full text review, 6 references met our inclusion criteria and were included in the secondary analysis.
Figure 3

PRISMA flow diagram illustrating retrieval and inclusion in meta-analysis.
2.1 Inclusion/exclusion criteria
The keyword search strategy was iteratively developed via the author team. Key search terms and their derivatives were pooled in two key themes related to memory and the mode of exercise prior to being combined for the final searches. The population specified human participants aged 5 years or older. The environment was not specified to enable a broad array of studies in both lab and field-based settings. The intervention type was an acute bout of exercise before, during, or after an encoding task, that may be a repeated design within a day or in a cross-over condition. The exercise modes were developed through an initial review of the literature to identify all of the acute exercise modes. The outcome measures were aligned to memory types (long-term declarative memory, semantic memory, episodic memory, and spatial memory) and memory assessment (free-recall, cued-recall, recognition, paired-associate, object location, sentence recall, and word fluency). Exclusion criteria was opposite to the inclusion criteria, in addition to the studies included; participants who reported suffering from a concussion or similar head trauma within the past 6 months, studies on participants prescribed psychotropic medications, a condition that influences memory (e.g., learning disorders, developmental disorders, specific clinical diagnosis based on memory disorders), studies focused on specific health conditions (e.g. cancer, diabetes), no assessment of memory retention over time, and studies that used the following designs: cross-sectional studies, longitudinal studies, or chronic studies (more than one bout of exercise over an extended period of time or extending two or more days).
2.2 Article screening and data extraction
All articles retrieved as part of the scientific platform search were downloaded into an Endnote database and duplicates were removed. One author (NG) performed a title and abstract screen while a second author (AD-S) performed a random check of 20% of the articles. Before performing a full-text screen, the inclusion/exclusion criteria outlined above was applied. All authors performed full text screening of articles that met the initial criteria. Once the final eligible studies were identified, a second search of the literature was conducted by assessing the accompanying reference sections. The reference sections were manually searched, cited articles were extracted by hand, and the article name, authors and date of publication were inserted into an Excel spreadsheet. These extractions were cross checked against the original Endnote database, duplicates were identified and removed, and all titles and abstracts were assessed prior to proceeding to a full-text screen by all authors using Google Scholar. Several discrepancies in the application of selection criteria were identified within the selection process but were resolved through consensus with all co-authors. Study characteristics, effect size data, and data for moderator variable coding were extracted from all eligible articles. At the onset of coding, approximately 10% of articles were double–coded and any inconsistencies were discussed. Upon consensus between all authors, the remaining articles were single-coded by KL and cross-checked for accuracy (PT and AQ). Data extracted to an Excel spreadsheet included author names, publication year, study design, sample type and characteristics (gender, age, sample size), memory test characteristics (timing, type), exercise protocol (type, mode, intensity, length), and results.
The screening and data extraction process for the secondary search was identical to the primary search. Two authors (AQ and DS) performed a title and abstract screening. Similar to the primary search, study characteristics and effect size data were extracted from all articles. All data was cross checked for accuracy (AQ and DS) and any discrepancies were resolved through consensus.
2.3 Assessment of study quality
Consistent with PRISMA-P guidelines, two independent reviewers (NG and AD-S) assessed overall and subdomain risk of bias using a modified version of the Downs and Black (Downs and Black,
Assessment of study quality for the secondary search was identical to the primary search and was conducted independently by two authors (AQ and DS). Any disagreements between the authors were resolved via discussion.
2.4 Meta analytic methods
To assess the effect of acute exercise on different encoding paradigms (encoding before exercise, during exercise, or following exercise), three separate meta-analyses were conducted. Meta-analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis CMA software (Version 3 for Windows, Biostat company, Englewood NJ, USA). CMA enables the harmonization of data presented in different formats and from different study designs (i.e., between-subjects, within-subjects). Cohen's d was calculated when means, standard deviations, and sample sizes were available. When these data were not available, Cohen's d was estimated using t or p values and sample size information. Cohen's d was used to control for Type I error rates (Huedo-Medina et al.,
Categorical moderators were determined a priori and were chosen based on logical, theoretical, and previous empirical relations between acute exercise and episodic memory. Similar to the previous meta-analysis by Loprinzi et al. (
Moderators were tested using Q with a mixed effects analysis. Heterogeneity was determined by Cochrane's Q statistic and I2 values, whereby values of < 25, 50, and 75 were considered to indicate low, moderate, and high levels of heterogeneity, respectively (Higgins et al.,
3 Results
3.1 Articles included in analyses
Using the predefined search strategies, three stages of article searches were conducted. At the conclusion of the first stage, 23 articles were considered eligible for inclusion in the final meta-analysis. At the conclusion of the second stage, 12 articles were deemed eligible for inclusion in the final meta-analysis. At the conclusion of the third stage, 7 articles were considered eligible for inclusion in the final meta-analysis.
In total, 42 articles met the inclusionary criteria and were used for quantitative analyses in the present meta-analytic review. A detailed visual representation of the retrievals at each stage of the review is summarized in the flow diagram in Appendix A. Table 1 provides a summary of the included experiments.
Table 1
| References and Country | Participant characteristics | Exercise intervention | Study design | Type of memory assessed | Memory assessment | Time between encoding and recall/ recognition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | Age | Sex | Duration | Intensity | Mode | Control | Temporal period | |||||
| Amico and Schaefer ( | 78 | 31.03 (3.6) | 39 F 39 M | - | Mod | Running, Dribbling | Standing | During | Between | Cued recall (words) | Vocabulary learning task | Immediate 24 h |
| Austin and Loprinzi ( | 20 | 21.6 (0.7) | 50% F 50% M | 10 mins | - | Treadmill | Sudoku | Before | 3-arm Within subjects | Free recall (words) | RAVLT | 10 mins |
| Coles and Tomporowski ( | 18 | 22.2 (1.6) | NK | 40 mins | Mod | Cycle ergometer | Rest watching documentary | Before | Within subjects | Free recall (words) | Visual free recall test | 100 seconds 12 mins |
| Frith et al. ( | 88 | 21.9 (2.4) | 45.5% M 54.5% F | 15 mins | High | Treadmill | Sitting | Before During After | Between subjects | Free recall (words) | RAVLT | 20 mins 24 h |
| Haynes and Loprinzi ( | 24 | 20.9 (1.9) | 66.7 F | 15 mins | Mod | Treadmill | Rest for 5 mins | Before During After | Within subjects | Free recall and recognition (words) | RAVLT | 20 mins 24 h |
| Delancey et al. ( | 40 | Exp – 21.9 (0.6) Cont – 20.8 (0.3) | ~50% F ~50% M | 15 mins | Low Mod High | Treadmill | No exercise | After | Between subjects | Free recall (words) | RAVLT | 24 h |
| Dilley et al. ( | 60 | 20.8 | Cont – 80% F Mod – 95% F High – 95% F | 15 mins | Mod High | Treadmill | Sudoku | Before | Between subjects | Cued-recall and Recognition (words) | DRM Paradigm | Immediate 10 mins |
| Etnier et al. ( | 43 | 11-12 | 28 F 15 M | To exhaustio n | High | PACER Test | No treatment control | Before | Between subjects | Free recall and recognition (words) | RAVLT | 2 mins 24 h |
| Hötting et al. ( | 81 | 22 (2.36) | 41 M 40 F | To exhaustion | Low High | Cycle ergometer | Relaxing | After | Between subjects | Cued recall (words) | Polish-German Vocab test | 20 mins 24 h |
| Johnson et al. ( | 24 | 21.5 (1.2) | 54.2% F 45.8% M | 10 mins | Mod | Sprints on indoor court | No control | Before | Within subjects | Cued recall (words) | Paired associative learning task | 10 mins |
| Jentsch and Wolf ( | 48 | 23.38 (2.86) | 26 F 22 M | 20 mins | High | Treadmill | Seated rest watching documentaries | After | Between subjects | Recognition (pictures) | Visuospatial IAPS memory task | 24 h |
| Kao et al. ( | 36 | 21.5 | 18 F 18 M | 16 mins | High Moderate | Treadmill | Rest | Before | Within subjects | Free recall (words) | Visual free recall task | Immediate 13 mins |
| Labban and Etnier ( | 48 | 22.02 | 33 F 15 M | 20 mins | Moderate | Cycle ergometer | Rest | Before After | Between subjects | Free recall (story) | Guild Memory Test | 35 mins |
| Labban and Etnier ( | 15 | 22.73 | 10 F 5 M | 30 mins | Moderate | Cycle ergometer | Rest | Before After | Within subjects | Free recall and recognition (words) | RAVLT | 60 mins |
| Lind et al., | 81 | 11.8 | 33 F 48 M | 20 mins | Mod/High Low | Football Football (walking) | Rest | After | RCT | Recognition (pictures) | Visual Memory Task | 7 days |
| Loprinzi et al. ( | 23 | 20.4 (1.3) | 65.2% F | 15 mins | Moderate | Treadmill | Rest | Before | Within subjects | Free recall (words) | Word list | 20 mins |
| 28 | 23.1 (5.2) | 46.4 % F | 0 mins | |||||||||
| 31 | 21.5 (2.8) | 58.1% F | 0 mins | |||||||||
| 20 | 21.5 (10.5) | 50% F 50% M | 15 mins | |||||||||
| 28 | 23.1 (50.2) | 46.4% F | 0 mins | |||||||||
| 73 | 21 (1.7) | 72% F | 0 mins | |||||||||
| Loprinzi et al. ( | 40 | 21 | 47.5% F 52.5% M | 15 mins | Moderate | Circuit – body weight (resistance) | Sudoku | Before | Between subjects (2 arm parallel RCT) | Free recall (words, item location) | RAVLT Treasure Hunt Task | Immediate 10 mins |
| 51 | 21.7 | 68.3% F 31.7% M | Between subjects (3 arm parallel RCT) | |||||||||
| Loprinzi et al. ( | 80 | 20.9 (1.2) | 61.3% F, 38.7% M | 15 mins | Low | Treadmill | Rest withudoku | Before | Between subjects | Free recall (story) | Logical memory task | Immediate 20 mins |
| 77 | 21.10 (3.3) | 50% F, 50% M | 0 mins | High | Free recall (words) | Logical memory task | ||||||
| 80 | 21.04 (1.5) | 65% F, 35% M | 15 mins | High | Free recall (story) | Toronto Word Poll recall | ||||||
| Loprinzi et al. ( | 12 2 | 21.2 | 50% F, 50% M | 15 mins | Low Moderate | Treadmill | Rest | Before After | Between group | Free recall (story) | Logical Memory Task | 45 mins |
| Ludyga et al. ( | 51 | 21.8 (1.3) | 30 F 21 M | 15 mins | Moderate | Outdoor running | Reading Task | Before | Crossover, counterbalanced | Free recall (words) | Word list | Immediate 20 mins |
| McNerney and Radvansky ( | 13 6 | 19.22 (1.19) | NK | 2 mins | Moderate | Indoor running | Sudoku | Before | Between subjects | Cued recall (words) Recognition (sentence) | Paired Associative learning task | Immediate 1 week |
| 13 2 | 19.07 (1.18) | After | ||||||||||
| Most et al. ( | 74 | 19.8 | 38 F 36 M | 5 mins | Moderate | Step ups | Puzzle | Before, After | Between subjects | Cued recall | Paired faces and names | 24 h |
| 80 | 19.9 | 40 F 40 M | Finger tapping on lap | After | Between subjects | Paired faces and names | 10 mins | |||||
| 48 | 19 | 31 F 17 M | Finger tapping on lap | After | Within subjects | Abstract forms and names | 24 mins | |||||
| 75 | 21 | 58 F 17 M | Finger tapping on lap | After | Between subjects | Abstract forms and names | 24 mins | |||||
| Palmer et al. ( | 59 | 25.75 (8.31) | 33 F 28 M | 30 mins | Moderate | Stationary cycle | No exercise | Before, After | 3 arm RCT | Cued recall (words) | Paired associative learning task | 30 mins |
| 39 | 22.9 (5.5) | 20 F | Before | Between Group | 20 mins | |||||||
| Pesce et al., | 52 | 11-12 | NK | 60 mins | Mod/High | PE class Circuit training | No exercise | Before | Between subjects | Free recall (words) | Visual word list test | 2 mins 12 mins |
| Piepmeier et al. ( | 29 | 21.69 | 29 M 0 F | To exhaustion | Light High | Cycle ergometer | No exercise | Before | Between subjects | Free recall and recognition (words, spatial location) | RAVLT Spatial memory task | Immediate 30 mins 24 h |
| Pyke et al. ( | 19 | 21.85 (2.43) | 11 F 8 M | 30 mins | Low, Mod, High | Ergonomic bicycle | Passive rest | After | Within subjects | Recognition (word- image) | Words image pared task | 80 mins |
| 17 | 19.77 (1.27) | 10 F 7 M | 30 mins | Moderate | Active rest | 90 mins | ||||||
| 23 | 19.62 (1.51) | 20 F 3 M | 6 mins | Mod, High | Passive rest | 90 mins | ||||||
| Salas et al. ( | 80 | 19.35 (2.34) | 46 F, 34 M | 10 mins | Moderate | Walking | Sitting | Before | Between subjects | Free recall (words) | - | Immediate |
| Schmidt-Kassow et al. ( | 18 | 22.8 (2.6) | 9 F 9 M | 30 mins | Low | Treadmill | Encoding while sitting | During | Within subjects | Cued recall (words) | Auditory paired association task | 24 h |
| 31 | 21.7 (2.7) | 16 F 5 M | ||||||||||
| Schramke and Bauer ( | 96 | 20 (young) 69 (old) | NK | 5-7 mins | Preferred walking pace | Indoor walk | Seated rest | Before | Between subjects | Free, cued recall and recognition (words) | California Verbal Learning Test | 20 mins |
| Siddiqui and Loprinzi (2018) (US) | 20 | 21.1 (1) | 8 F 12 M | 20 mins | Brisk walking pace (moderate) | Treadmill | Sudoku | Before During | Within subjects | Free recall (words) | Deese-Roediger-McDermott Paradigm | Immediate 25 min |
| Slutsky-Ganesh et al. (2020) (US) | 76 | 21.6 (3.19) | 30.5% M, 69.5% F | 20 mins | Moderate | Recumbent bike | No exercise | Before After | Between subject | Free recall (words) | RAVLT | Immediate 24 h |
| 22 | 22.76 (3.2) | 33.2% M 66.8% F | Before and After | |||||||||
| Sng et al. (2018) (US) | 88 | 23.3 (3.7) | 42 F 46 M | 15 mins | Preferred walking pace | Treadmill | Relaxation | Before During After | Between subjects | Free, cued recall and recognition (words) | RAVLT | 20 mins 24 h |
| Prospective memory | ||||||||||||
| Soga et al. (2017) (Japan) | 18 | 22.3 (2.4) | 5 F 13 M | - | Moderate | Cycle Ergometer | Seated rest | During | Within subjects | Recognition (pictures) | Visual picture task | 5 mins |
| Stones and Dawe (1993) (Canada) | 20 | 84.5 | 17 F 3 M | NK | Low | Stretching | Watch exercise video | Before | Between group | Cued recall (lexical) | Word fluency withemantic/ lexical prompts | Immediate 30 mins |
| van Dongen et al. (2016) (Netherlands) | 72 | 21.9 | 48 F 24 M | 35 mins | Alternati ve (high low) | Rest | Rest | After | Between group | Cued recall (object location) | Cued recall memory test | 48 hours |
| Wade and Loprinzi (2018) (US) | 34 | 20 | 17 F 17 M | 15 mins | Moderate | Treadmill | Rest | Before | Between subject | Recognition (pictures) | IAPS images task | 24 h |
| Wang et al. (2020) (China) | 22 | 21.6 (3) | 0 F 22 M | 30 mins | Moderate | Cycle ergometer | Rest | Before After | Within subject | Free recall and recognition (pictures) | Free recall and recognition task | Immediate 1 h 24 h |
| Weinberg et al. (2014) (US) | 46 | 20 | 29 F 17 M | - | High | Isometric dynamometer | Rest | After | Within subjects | Recognition (pictures) | IAPS images task | 48 h |
| Winter et al. (2007) (Germany) | 27 | 22.2 (1.7) | 27 M 0 F | 40 mins (low impact running) 6 mins (sprints at increasing speeds) | High Low | Track | Rest | Before | Within subjects (randomized crossover) | Cued recall (pictures) | Associative vocab learning task | Immediate 1 week 8 months |
| Yanes and Loprinzi (2018) (US) | 40 | 21 | NK | 15 mins | Moderate | Treadmill | Sudoku | Before | Between subjects (two armed parallel RCT) | Free recall (paragraph) | Paragraph episodic memory task | 20 mins 24 h |
| Yanes et al. (2019) (US) | 24 | 20.9 (1.8) | 12 F 12 M | 15 mins | Moderate | Treadmill | Rest | During After | Within subjects (counterbalanced) | Free recall (words) | Word list | - |
| Zuniga et al. (2019) (US) | 30 | 20.4 | 20 F 10 M | 10 mins | Low | Treadmill | Sitting | Before | Within subjects | Free recall (words) (metacognition) | Word list | 5 mins |
| 57 | 20 | 31 F 26 M | ||||||||||
Summary characteristics of experiments included in meta-analysis.
3.2 Quantitative analyses
The total number of effects per primary moderating variable are displayed in Figure 4. Focusing on conditions in which acute bouts of exercise were performed after memory encoding, several moderators influenced long-term episodic memory. Performance differed as a function of participant's age, with young adults showing improved memory performance while the opposite was true for older adults. Our results indicated that older adults' memory performance did not improve before, during, or after acute bouts of exercise.
Figure 4

Total number of effects for each moderator.
3.2.1 Exercise before encoding
The overall effect size for exercise before memory encoding compared to control conditions was d = 0.23 (95% CI: [0.13, 0.34], p < 0.001; Table 2, Figure 5), which constitutes a small effect size. There was evidence of a significant moderating effect for the analysis [Q = 317.17, df (92), p < 0.001, I2 = 70.81]. For the primary moderator of interest, free-recall (d = 0.40, 95% CI: [0.27, 0.53], p < 0.001) memory was improved significantly. Cued-recall (d = 0.077, 95% CI [−0.267, 0.421]) and recognition memory (d = −0.057, 95% CI [−0.207, 0.092]) were not significantly influenced. Analyses of moderators of secondary interest revealed that elementary school children's (d = 0.70, 95% CI: [0.37, 1.03], p < 0.001) and young adults' (d = 0.19, 95% CI: [0.09, 0.30], p < 0.001) episodic memory improved, while older adults' (d = −0.47, 95% CI: [−0.89, −0.06], p = 0.03) memory performance declined significantly. Additionally, significant improvements in episodic memory were detected when mixed-sex samples were measured (d = 0.37, 95% CI [0.01, 0.23], p < 0.001), memory testing occurred on the same day as encoding (d = 0.30, 95% CI [0.17, 0.43], p < 0.001), and when exercise parameters included aerobic protocols (d = 0.24, 95% CI [0.12, 0.35], p < 0.001), cycling modality (d = 0.61, 95% CI [0.39, 0.84], p < 0.001), medium duration (d = 0.64, 95% CI[0.43, 0.85], p < 0.001), and moderate intensity (d = 0.56, 95% CI [0.38, 0.74], p < 0.001). The regression intercept for the Egger's test (intercept 1.90, p = 0.002) was statistically significant, indicative of publication bias.
Table 2
| Moderator | Effect size and precision | 95% CI | Heterogeneity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of ES contributions | ES (Cohen's d) | Lower CI | Upper CI | p-value | Q-value | p-value | |
| Age | 20.679 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Elementary | 6 | 0.701*** | 0.372 | 1.030 | < 0.001 | ||
| Highchool | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Young adult | 80 | 0.19*** | 0.092 | 0.295 | < 0.001 | ||
| Adult | 3 | 1.236 | −0.302 | 2.774 | 0.115 | ||
| Middle-age | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Older adult | 4 | −0.474* | −0.892 | −0.057 | 0.026 | ||
| Sex | 26.077 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Males | 11 | 0.265 | −0.014 | 0.545 | 0.063 | ||
| Females | 15 | −0.204* | −0.379 | 0.090 | 0.022 | ||
| Mixed | 46 | 0.374*** | 0.005 | 0.233 | < 0.001 | ||
| Predominantly male | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Predominantly female | 12 | 0.178* | 0.005 | 0.351 | 0.044 | ||
| Memory type | 20.564 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Free recall | 56 | 0.399*** | 0.267 | 0.531 | < 0.001 | ||
| Cued recall | 8 | 0.077 | −0.267 | 0.421 | 0.660 | ||
| Recognition | 29 | −0.057 | −0.207 | 0.092 | 0.452 | ||
| Timing of test | 2.969 | 0.397 | |||||
| Same day | 60 | 0.299*** | 0.171 | 0.427 | < 0.001 | ||
| 1 day later | 19 | 0.107 | −0.134 | 0.348 | 0.384 | ||
| 2 days later | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1 week later | 9 | 0.101 | −0.354 | 0.556 | 0.663 | ||
| 2 weeks later | 5 | 0.116*** | 0.171 | 0.427 | < 0.001 | ||
| Exercise type | 3.479 | 0.176 | |||||
| Aerobic | 82 | 0.236*** | 0.124 | 0.349 | < 0.001 | ||
| Anaerobic | 5 | 0.470 | −0.055 | 0.995 | 0.079 | ||
| Muscular resistance | 6 | −0.058 | −0.400 | 0.285 | 0.741 | ||
| Exercise mode | 13.37 | 0.001 | |||||
| Running/walking | 64 | 0.195** | 0.066 | 0.324 | 0.022 | ||
| Cycling | 17 | 0.610*** | 0.385 | 0.835 | < 0.001 | ||
| Other | 12 | 0.292 | −0.047 | 0.631 | 0.091 | ||
| Exercise duration | 22.951 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Very short | 19 | 0.200 | −0.041 | 0.440 | 0.104 | ||
| Short | 52 | 0.079 | −0.041 | 0.198 | 0.198 | ||
| Medium | 18 | 0.638*** | 0.430 | 0.846 | < 0.001 | ||
| Long | 4 | 0.694* | 0.056 | 1.33 | 0.033 | ||
| Exercise intensity | 24.852 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Low | 7 | 0.345** | 0.138 | 0.552 | 0.001 | ||
| Low to moderate | 36 | −0.018 | −0.186 | 0.149 | 0.832 | ||
| Moderate | 30 | 0.563*** | 0.382 | 0.743 | < 0.001 | ||
| High | 20 | 0.120 | −0.026 | 0.266 | 0.106 | ||
| Study quality | 9.212 | 0.010 | |||||
| Poor | 19 | 0.544** | 0.309 | 0.779 | < 0.001 | ||
| Fair | 45 | 0.129 | −0.027 | 0.285 | 0.105 | ||
| Good | 29 | 0.161* | 0.016 | 0.306 | 0.030 | ||
| Excellent | |||||||
| Study design | 16.794 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Between subjects | 66 | 0.083 | −0.055 | 0.222 | 0.238 | ||
| Within subjects | 27 | 0.506*** | 0.359 | 0.653 | < 0.001 | ||
Moderation results for exercise before memory encoding vs. control.
*Indicates statistically significant effect size (p < 0.05), **(p < 0.01), ***(p < 0.001).
Figure 5

Forest plot indicating effect sizes for exercise before memory encoding.
Reinforcing the findings of the primary search, the secondary search indicated that exercise before encoding led to the largest mnemonic benefits in studies by Etnier et al. (
3.2.2 Exercise after encoding
The overall effect size for exercise bouts performed following memory encoding compared to control conditions was d = 0.33 (95% CI [0.89, 0.56], p = 0.007; Table 3, Figure 6), which constitutes a small-to-medium effect size. There was evidence of significant moderation effects [Q = 440.37, df (48), p < 0.001, I2 = 89.10]. For the primary moderator of interest, recognition memory significantly improved when exercise occurred following memory encoding (d = 0.623, 95% CI [0.12, 1.13], p = 0.015), while free-recall (d = 0.194, 95% CI [−0.16, 0.55], p = 0.283), and cued-recall (d = 0.142, 95% CI [−0.22, 0.51], p = 0.448) memory processes were not significantly influenced. Analyses of moderators of secondary interest revealed that young adults' memory function improved (d = 0.43, 95% CI [0.18, 0.68], p = 0.001) while older adults' episodic memory performance declined (d = −0.94, 95% CI [−1.43, −0.45, p < 0.001). Other moderators that significantly influenced episodic memory function were detected when samples were predominantly female (d = 1.15, 95% CI [0.44, 1.85], p = 0.001) and exercise parameters included resistance exercise (d = 2.68, 95% CI [1.99, 3.37], p < 0.001), long duration exercise (d = 2.68, 95% CI [1.99, 3.37], p < 0.001), and moderate intensity (d = 0.81, 95% CI: [0.43, 1.18], p < 0.001). The regression intercept for the Egger's test (intercept 0.71, p = 0.67) was not statistically significant, indicating that there was no evidence of publication bias in this set of studies.
Table 3
| Moderator | Effect size and precision | 95% CI | Heterogeneity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of ES contributions | ES (Cohen's d) | Lower CI | Upper CI | p-value | Q-value | p-value | |
| Age | 24.269 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Elementary | 2 | −0.041 | −0.477 | 0.394 | 0.852 | ||
| Highchool | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Young adult | 43 | 0.427** | 0.175 | 0.680 | 0.001 | ||
| Adult | 1 | 0 | −0.591 | 0.591 | 1 | ||
| Middle-age | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Older adult | 3 | −0.938*** | −1.427 | −0.449 | < 0.001 | ||
| Sex | 5.881 | 0.118 | |||||
| Males | 3 | 0.207 | −0.266 | 0.681 | 0.390 | ||
| Females | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Mixed | 34 | 0.259* | 0.025 | 0.494 | 0.030 | ||
| Predominately male | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Predominately female | 4 | 1.146** | 0.439 | 1.852 | 0.001 | ||
| Memory type | 2.534 | 0.282 | |||||
| Free recall | 15 | 0.194 | −0.160 | 0.549 | 0.283 | ||
| Cued recall | 16 | 0.142 | −0.224 | 0.507 | 0.448 | ||
| Recognition | 18 | 0.623* | 0.120 | 1.126 | 0.015 | ||
| Timing of test | 8.137 | 0.043 | |||||
| Same day | 25 | 0.136 | −0.129 | 0.401 | 0.314 | ||
| 1 day later | 16 | 0.067 | −0.166 | 0.300 | 0.573 | ||
| 2 days later | 4 | 2.015* | 0.442 | 3.588 | 0.012 | ||
| 1 week later | 4 | 1.035 | −0.123 | 2.193 | 0.080 | ||
| 2 weeks later | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Exercise type | 59.307 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Aerobic | 41 | 0.056 | −0.113 | 0.224 | 0.517 | ||
| Anaerobic | 5 | 1.235** | 0.459 | 2.011 | 0.002 | ||
| Muscular resistance | 3 | 2.681*** | 1.993 | 3.369 | < 0.001 | ||
| Exercise mode | 7.327 | 0.026 | |||||
| Running/walking | 21 | 0.058 | −0.370 | 0.486 | 0.791 | ||
| Cycling | 21 | 0.256 | −0.003 | 0.515 | 0.052 | ||
| Other | 7 | 1.312 | 0.504 | 2.120 | 0.001 | ||
| Exercise duration | 54.535 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Very short | 17 | 0.439 | −0.015 | 0.894 | 0.058 | ||
| Short | 8 | −0.041 | −0.517 | 0.435 | 0.866 | ||
| Medium | 21 | 0.058 | −0.117 | 0.233 | 0.515 | ||
| Long | 3 | 2.681*** | 1.993 | 3.369 | < 0.001 | ||
| Exercise intensity | 26.696 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Low | 2 | −0.450* | −0.829 | −0.071 | 0.020 | ||
| Low to moderate | 14 | −0.275 | −0.620 | 0.070 | 0.118 | ||
| Moderate | 23 | 0.805*** | 0.431 | 1.179 | < 0.001 | ||
| High | 10 | 0.219 | −0.114 | 0.552 | 0.198 | ||
| Study quality | 27.369 | < 0.001 | |||||
| Poor | 18 | 1.061*** | 0.605 | 1.518 | < 0.001 | ||
| Fair | 24 | −0.196 | −0.407 | 0.015 | 0.068 | ||
| Good | 7 | 0.293** | 0.079 | 0.506 | 0.007 | ||
| Excellent | |||||||
| Study design | 0.100 | 0.752 | |||||
| Between subjects | 33 | 0.291 | −0.059 | 0.641 | 0.103 | ||
| Within subjects | 16 | 0.363* | 0.086 | 0.64 | 0.010 | ||
Moderation results for exercise after memory encoding vs. control.
*Indicates statistically significant effect size (p < 0.05), **(p < 0.01), ***(p < 0.001).
Figure 6

Forest plot indicating effect sizes for exercise after memory encoding.
Through the secondary search, Loprinzi (
3.2.3 Exercise during encoding
The overall effect size for exercise performed during memory encoding compared to control conditions was non-significant d = −0.04 (95% CI [−0.31, 0.24], p = 0.78; Table 4, Figure 7). There was evidence of a significant moderation effect (Q = 36.21, df (11), p < 0.001, I2 = 69.62). Moderator analyses yielded one significant result. The effect of participants' age on episodic memory was greatest for elementary-aged children (d = 1.272, CI [0.395, 2.15], p = 0.004). The regression intercept for the Egger's test (intercept −1.62, p = 0.40) was not statistically significant, indicating that there was no evidence of publication bias.
Table 4
| Moderator | Effect size and precision | 95% CI | Heterogeneity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of ES contributions | ES (Cohen's d) | Lower CI | Upper CI | p-value | Q-value | p-value | |
| Age | 8.853 | 0.012 | |||||
| Elementary | 1 | 1.272** | 0.395 | 2.15 | 0.004 | ||
| Highchool | |||||||
| Young adult | 10 | −0.018 | −0.167 | 0.131 | 0.453 | ||
| Adult | |||||||
| Middle-age | 1 | −0.230 | −1.213 | 0.753 | 0.647 | ||
| Older adult | |||||||
| Sex | 0.095 | 0.757 | |||||
| Males | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Females | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Mixed | 10 | −0.057 | −0.394 | 0.28 | 0.739 | ||
| Predominately male | 2 | 0.024 | −0.369 | 0.417 | 0.904 | ||
| Memory type | 2.207 | 0.332 | |||||
| Free recall | 3 | −0.181 | −0.814 | 0.451 | 0.574 | ||
| Cued recall | 5 | 0.232 | −0.189 | 0.653 | 0.280 | ||
| Recognition | 4 | −0.212 | −0.699 | 0.275 | 0.394 | ||
| Timing of test | 0.087 | 0.768 | |||||
| Same day | 5 | −0.085 | −0.451 | 0.281 | 0.650 | ||
| 1 day later | 7 | −0.224 | −0.437 | 0.439 | 0.996 | ||
| 2 days later | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1 week later | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2 Weeks later | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Exercise type | 0.253 | 0.615 | |||||
| Aerobic | 9 | −0.083 | −0.365 | 0.199 | 0.563 | ||
| Anaerobic | 3 | 0.206 | −0.885 | 1.297 | 0.711 | ||
| Muscular resistance | |||||||
| Exercise mode | 0.095 | 0.757 | |||||
| Running/walking | 10 | −0.057 | −0.394 | 0.28 | 0.739 | ||
| Cycling | 2 | 0.024 | −0.369 | 0.417 | 0.904 | ||
| Other | |||||||
| Exercise duration | 1.394 | 0.498 | |||||
| Very short | 5 | 0.116 | −0.376 | 0.607 | 0.644 | ||
| Short | 4 | −0.324 | −0.970 | 0.323 | 0.326 | ||
| Medium | 3 | 0.089 | −0.235 | 0.413 | 0.590 | ||
| Long | |||||||
| Exercise intensity | 3.572 | 0.168 | |||||
| Low | 2 | 0.249 | −0.035 | 0.533 | 0.086 | ||
| Low to moderate | 5 | −0.297 | −0.786 | 0.193 | 0.234 | ||
| Moderate | 5 | 0.116 | −0.376 | 0.607 | 0.644 | ||
| High | |||||||
| Study quality | 0.095 | 0.757 | |||||
| Poor | 2 | 0.024 | −0.369 | 0.417 | 0.904 | ||
| Fair | 10 | −0.057 | −0.279 | 0.233 | 0.739 | ||
| Good | |||||||
| Excellent | |||||||
| Study design | 1.003 | 0.317 | |||||
| Between subjects | 5 | −0.294 | −1.075 | 0.488 | 0.461 | ||
| Within subjects | 7 | 0.115 | −0.059 | 0.290 | 0.194 | ||
Moderation results for exercise during memory encoding vs. control.
*Indicates statistically significant effect size (p < 0.05), **(p < 0.01), ***(p < 0.001).
Figure 7

Forest plot indicating effect sizes for exercise during memory encoding.
4 Discussion
The primary finding of this meta-analytic review is that acute bouts of exercise performed prior to or following encoding have selective effects on episodic memory processes. We assessed 42 primary research studies and our main findings indicated that performance on free-recall tests of memory significantly improved (d = 0.399) more than either cued-recall (d = 0.077) or recognition (d = −0.05) tests of memory when exercise preceded memory encoding. Exercise performed following encoding had a greater impact on recognition memory performance (d = 0.623) than on either free- (d = 0.194) or cued-recall (d = 0.142) performance. A secondary narrative review affirmed the findings of the former meta-analysis. Contemporary psychological theories of memory and recent advances in the study of the neurophysiology of memory systems provide the means to explain why exercise has selective effects on memory processes.
When exercise preceded encoding, there was a significant improvement in memory performance (d = 0.29), with the greatest effect exhibited on free-recall processes. Conceptually, free-recall memory is an issue of item remembrance, which can be viewed as the developing strength of a memory trace (Malmberg et al.,
Episodic memory was improved when exercise occurred following encoding (d = 0.37). Bouts of exercise enhanced performance on recognition memory tests more than free- or cued-recall tests. Viewed from a psychological perspective, recognition is an issue of item familiarity and involves making a rational response based on the weight of an item and context trace strength via a Bayesian process, which is a reasonable expectation based on past knowledge (Kao et al.,
Regardless of the temporal relation between exercise and encoding, the strength of the effect of exercise on cued-recall test performance was found to range between very small and small (d = 0.077 when exercise preceded encoding; d = 0.142 when exercise followed encoding, d = 0.232 when exercise occurred during encoding). Cued-recall memory tests are viewed as a hybrid between free-recall and recognition tests (Pesce et al.,
Since the initial research conducted over a century ago by Yerkes and Dodson (1908), there has been a longstanding interest in the relationship between arousal and memory. The results of the present review suggest that acute bouts of exercise provide an ideal model to advance general theories of memory and learning. Via the systematic manipulation of the temporal relation between exercise and encoding, as well as quantitative and qualitative aspects of exercise, researchers may derive a clearer understanding of brain structures involved in memory as well as psychological and environmental factors that may moderate memory storage and retrieval during recall and recognition tests.
The results of the present review suggest that long-term episodic memory is not influenced by exercise when performed simultaneously with encoding (d = −0.04). This finding differs from the conclusion drawn by Loprinzi et al. (
A series of experiments conducted recently with children provides insights into dual-task conditions that may facilitate encoding and long-term memory. They may also help explain children's enhanced memory performance found in our meta-analysis. We found that children's memory performance was enhanced when exercise was performed prior to and simultaneously with encoding. These experiments involved teaching children academic material over several training sessions and, as such, were not included in our review. A prototypical experiment conducted by Schmidt et al. (
One explanation advanced for children's memory improvements in these experiments (Paas and Sweller,
An alternative explanation for these findings (Mavilidi et al.,
Several researchers have suggested that acute bouts of exercise may be particularly useful for enhancing cognition in developing children (Tomporowski et al., 2008; Howie and Pate,
4.1 Analyses of moderators of secondary interest
The analyses revealed commonalities and differences with prior systematic reviews. Focusing on conditions in which exercise was performed prior to encoding, participants' age was found to influence long-term memory. Young adults had significantly better memory performance compared to older adults' performance. These results are in line with those of Roig et al. (
Meta-analytic evidence supports the notion that chronic exercise interventions improve long-term memory (Northey et al.,
4.2 Limitations and future directions
The primary finding of this review is that the strength of the exercise-memory relation depends on the type of memory process measured. It is acknowledged, however, that the results obtained were restricted to episodic long-term memory, which is only one of several types of memory processing. Additional research designed to understand how the interactions among multiple types of long-term memory processes (e.g., semantic, spatial, perceptual, and procedural) is needed. There are research areas that necessitate additional scrutiny. For example, the analysis of experiments in which participants exercised simultaneously while encoding yielded null effects. Yet, experiments conducted with children that involved multiple training sessions consistently reported memory gains for those who were physically active while encoding academic material. The duration of each lesson and the length of the instructional interventions were brief and it is unlikely that the physical activity induced the changes in brain structure and function found with chronic exercise interventions (McMorris,
The selection of a single theory of long-term episodic memory (i.e., Atkinson and Shiffrin,
Additional well-designed exercise experiments that explore conditions that promote memory encoding and retention are warranted. The assessment of the quality of the experiments selected for this review revealed that the majority were rated as poor or fair. The quality of such research can be bolstered by utilizing reporting guidelines as a method of best practice and by conducting experiments in which hypotheses are grounded in established psychological theory and confirmed by convergent evidence obtained from studies that explore the neurobiology of memory.
Our analyses for the effects of exercise prior to encoding revealed a significant regression intercept for the Egger's test, suggesting evidence of publication bias as a limitation. Effects of exercise after and during encoding did not reveal a significant regression intercept for the Egger's test. Future well-conducted experiments with limited publication bias are warranted to strengthen the current exercise-cognition literature.
Advances in exercise research that focus on moderators that influence the relation between exercise and long-term declarative memory will benefit academics who seek to explain the phenomenon as well as practitioners who plan interventions designed to influence cognitive functions. The results of our review are germane for translational research and application. Physical activity and exercise breaks during children's academic routines are often recommended as interventions that favorably impact class performance and learning (Tomporowski et al., 2015). The results of experiments that examine the effects of exercise on students' academic performance, however, are quite variable (see reviews by Donnelly et al.,
5 Conclusions
The present review and systematic meta-analysis focused on mental processes that underlie the encoding and retrieval of information from long-term episodic declarative memory as assessed by tests of free-recall, cued-recall, and recognition. Based on a contemporary theory of long-term memory, we provide evidence that bouts of exercise differentially influenced free-recall and recognition memory processes. Exercise performed prior to encoding influence memory search processes that are employed in free-recall memory tests but not cue-recall or recognition memory. Exercise may alter free-recall processes via mechanisms that impact working memory and attentional allocation policy. Exercise performed following encoding influence memory search processes that are employed during recognition memory and to a lesser degree cued-recall, but not free-recall. Exercise may alter the consolidation of episodic memory. These results provide a theory-based approach to predicting the effectiveness of exercise interventions designed to enhance memory storage and retrieval. Left to be disentangled are the research outcomes obtained from studies of episodic memory that examine the effects of exercise performed simultaneously with encoding. We obtained tantalizing evidence that young children may be impacted via properly designed dual-task academic interventions. Additional dual-task research may lead to the development of exercise interventions designed for children in academic settings as well as older adults who evidence degraded memory function.
Statements
Data availability statement
The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.
Author contributions
AQ: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. DS: Writing – review & editing. NG: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. KL: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. AD-S: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. PT: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Conflict of interest
KL was employed by ICF Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Supplementary material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcogn.2024.1367569/full#supplementary-material
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Summary
Keywords
episodic memory, memory encoding, long-term memory, acute exercise, free-recall, recognition, cued-recall
Citation
Qazi AS, Schmid D, Gridley N, Lambourne K, Daly-Smith AJ and Tomporowski PD (2024) The effects of acute exercise on long-term episodic memory: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front. Cognit. 3:1367569. doi: 10.3389/fcogn.2024.1367569
Received
09 January 2024
Accepted
16 February 2024
Published
04 April 2024
Volume
3 - 2024
Edited by
Keita Kamijo, Chukyo University, Japan
Reviewed by
Noriteru Morita, Hokkaido University of Education, Japan
Mohamed Aly, Assiut University, Egypt
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© 2024 Qazi, Schmid, Gridley, Lambourne, Daly-Smith and Tomporowski.
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*Correspondence: Ahmed S. Qazi aq02392@uga.edu
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