Does Aerobic Fitness Training Enhance Cognition in Older Adults?

A meta-analytic study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that aerobic fitness training enhances the cognitive vitality of healthy but sedentary older adults. Eighteen intervention studies published between 1966 and 2001 were entered into the analysis. Several theoretically and practically important results were obtained. Most important, fitness training was found to have robust but selective benefits for cognition, with the largest fitness-induced benefits occurring for executive-control processes. The magnitude of fitness effects on cognition was also moderated by a number of programmatic and methodological factors, including the length of the fitness-training intervention, the type of the intervention, the duration of training sessions, and the gender of the study participants. The results are discussed in terms of recent neuroscientific and psychological data that indicate cognitive and neural plasticity is maintained throughout the life span.

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A Self-Paced Step Test to Predict Aerobic Fitness in Older Adults in the Primary Care Clinic

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ◽

10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49124.x ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 49 (5) ◽

pp. 632-638 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Robert J. Petrella ◽

John J. Koval ◽

David A. Cunningham ◽

Donald H. Paterson

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Primary Care ◽

Aerobic Fitness ◽

Primary Care Clinic ◽

Step Test ◽

Care Clinic

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Measured and Perceived Physical Responses in Multidimensional Fitness Training through Exergames in Older Adults

2018 10th International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications (VS-Games) ◽

10.1109/vs-games.2018.8493433 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J.E. Munoz ◽

A. Goncalves ◽

M.S. Cameirao ◽

S. Bermudez i Badia ◽

E.R. Gouveia

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Fitness Training ◽

Physical Responses

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Aerobic Fitness and Neurocognitive Performance in Older Adults from Costa Rica and the United States

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000518423.13235.00 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 49 (5S) ◽

pp. 549

Author(s):

Mónica Salazar-Villanea ◽

Yamileth Chacón-Araya ◽

Amber Watts ◽

Eric D. Vidoni ◽

Sandra A. Billinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Older Adults ◽

Costa Rica ◽

Aerobic Fitness ◽

The United States ◽

Neurocognitive Performance

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Influence of Aerobic Fitness on the Neurocognitive Function of Older Adults

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.8.4.379 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 379-385 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Arthur F. Kramer ◽

Sowon Hahn ◽

Edward McAuley

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Aerobic Fitness ◽

Executive Control ◽

Strong Support ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Neurocognitive Function ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Task Coordination ◽

The Relationship ◽

New Hypothesis

The article provides a brief review of the literature on the relationship between aerobic Fitness and neurocognitive function, particularly as it relates to older adults. Cross-sectional studies provide strong support for the beneficial influence of fitness on neurocognitive function. The longitudinal or interventional literature, however, provides more equivocal support for this relationship. In discussing the literature, the authors introduce a new hypothesis, the executive control/fitness hypothesis, which suggests that selective neurocognitive benefits will be observed with improvements in aerobic fitness; that is, executive control processes that include planning, scheduling, task coordination, inhibition, and working memory will benefit from enhanced fitness. Preliminary evidence for this hypothesis is discussed.

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