An increasing body of research suggests that physical activity, exercise, and sports enhance a wide range of cognitive and affective wellbeing, including attention, executive functions, memory and learning, creativity, stress resilience, and mental health. Engaging in regular physical activity has also been associated with a reduced risk of many neurological and psychiatric disorders, notably dementia, major depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders. However, firstly, it is still unclear what kind of physical activity, exercise, and sports conducted on how long a timescale brings maximal benefits to a specific outcome for a specific population. Secondly, how findings reported so far can be incorporated into daily practice by the general public and in educational, neurological, and psychiatric contexts remain unaddressed. Thirdly, the underlying psychological, physiological, and neurobiological mechanisms through which physical activity, exercise, and sports promote cognitive and affective wellbeing remain to be clarified. Several potential mechanisms have been proposed, including the activation of the prefrontal cortices and the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission, the release of neurotrophins, the enhancement of neural plasticity and neurogenesis, and the decrease of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.
The aim of this Research Topic is to publish a wide range of studies that help address these unsolved issues and advance our understanding of the cognitive and affective benefits of physical activity, exercise, and sports. Any topics relevant to cognitive functions, academic or work performance, affective wellbeing, and mental health are welcome. Physical activity, exercise, and sports can be acute or chronic/regular. The subjects can be healthy human volunteers, clinical patients, or animals of different ages and sexes. Article types include, but are not limited to, original research, brief research reports, clinical trials, reviews, meta-analyses, hypotheses, and theory articles. For original research and brief research reports, the design can be cross-sectional, longitudinal, or interventional.
The following subtopics are particularly welcome:
• The optimal levels/types of physical activity, exercise, and sports for improving academic/work performance, cognitive functions, or affective wellbeing;
• Clinical trials investigating the effectiveness and efficacy of physical activity, exercise, and sports for the treatment of neurological or psychiatric disorders;
• Predictors of the cognitive and affective effects of physical activity, exercise, and sports;
• Physiological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive and affective effects of physical activity, exercise, and sports, including but not limited to neuroimaging, neurotransmitters, neural plasticity, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress;
• Practical approaches and strategies (e.g., mobile app-based interventions) to increase or maintain physical activity and exercise in everyday life.
An increasing body of research suggests that physical activity, exercise, and sports enhance a wide range of cognitive and affective wellbeing, including attention, executive functions, memory and learning, creativity, stress resilience, and mental health. Engaging in regular physical activity has also been associated with a reduced risk of many neurological and psychiatric disorders, notably dementia, major depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders. However, firstly, it is still unclear what kind of physical activity, exercise, and sports conducted on how long a timescale brings maximal benefits to a specific outcome for a specific population. Secondly, how findings reported so far can be incorporated into daily practice by the general public and in educational, neurological, and psychiatric contexts remain unaddressed. Thirdly, the underlying psychological, physiological, and neurobiological mechanisms through which physical activity, exercise, and sports promote cognitive and affective wellbeing remain to be clarified. Several potential mechanisms have been proposed, including the activation of the prefrontal cortices and the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission, the release of neurotrophins, the enhancement of neural plasticity and neurogenesis, and the decrease of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.
The aim of this Research Topic is to publish a wide range of studies that help address these unsolved issues and advance our understanding of the cognitive and affective benefits of physical activity, exercise, and sports. Any topics relevant to cognitive functions, academic or work performance, affective wellbeing, and mental health are welcome. Physical activity, exercise, and sports can be acute or chronic/regular. The subjects can be healthy human volunteers, clinical patients, or animals of different ages and sexes. Article types include, but are not limited to, original research, brief research reports, clinical trials, reviews, meta-analyses, hypotheses, and theory articles. For original research and brief research reports, the design can be cross-sectional, longitudinal, or interventional.
The following subtopics are particularly welcome:
• The optimal levels/types of physical activity, exercise, and sports for improving academic/work performance, cognitive functions, or affective wellbeing;
• Clinical trials investigating the effectiveness and efficacy of physical activity, exercise, and sports for the treatment of neurological or psychiatric disorders;
• Predictors of the cognitive and affective effects of physical activity, exercise, and sports;
• Physiological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive and affective effects of physical activity, exercise, and sports, including but not limited to neuroimaging, neurotransmitters, neural plasticity, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress;
• Practical approaches and strategies (e.g., mobile app-based interventions) to increase or maintain physical activity and exercise in everyday life.
