Effects of Aerobic Fitness on Cognitive Performance
Mentor 1
Krista Lisdahl
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
27-4-2018 1:00 PM
Description
Aerobic fitness has been linked with improved brain health in adults and older adults, although few studies have examined aerobic fitness and cognition in youth. For this study, we examined how aerobic fitness relates to cognitive functioning in healthy adolescents and young adults, and whether there were gender differences in the link between fitness and cognition. Data was collected from 41 adolescents and young adults aged 16-25 (16 highly fit and 25 low-fit individuals). We examined whether aerobic fitness (measured by VO2 max) independently and interactively with gender predicted cognition in adolescents and young adults. High-fit youth did not significantly differ from low-fit youth on any demographics (race, ethnicity, gender, age, education) or drug (marijuana use, alcohol, nicotine past year use) variables. Multiple regressions revealed that higher aerobic fitness was associated with improved psychomotor speed and sequencing ability (b=.28, p=.03). There was also a significant interaction between gender and aerobic fitness in predicting letter fluency (b=-.44, p=.004), and marginally predicted working memory (b=-.30, p=.09) and sustained attention (b=-.30, p=.07); in all cases, the males demonstrated a more robust relationship between increased aerobic fitness and better cognitive performance. Aerobic fitness is a strong predictor of cognitive performance among males than in females. Although aerobic fitness is important among youth as evident in its association with increased psychomotor speed, however aerobic fitness and its effect on cognitive performance depends on gender. Future research should be performed on a larger sample group. Future research should look to explore the factors that lead to gender mediating the effects of aerobic fitness on cognitive performance among males.
Effects of Aerobic Fitness on Cognitive Performance
Union Wisconsin Room
Aerobic fitness has been linked with improved brain health in adults and older adults, although few studies have examined aerobic fitness and cognition in youth. For this study, we examined how aerobic fitness relates to cognitive functioning in healthy adolescents and young adults, and whether there were gender differences in the link between fitness and cognition. Data was collected from 41 adolescents and young adults aged 16-25 (16 highly fit and 25 low-fit individuals). We examined whether aerobic fitness (measured by VO2 max) independently and interactively with gender predicted cognition in adolescents and young adults. High-fit youth did not significantly differ from low-fit youth on any demographics (race, ethnicity, gender, age, education) or drug (marijuana use, alcohol, nicotine past year use) variables. Multiple regressions revealed that higher aerobic fitness was associated with improved psychomotor speed and sequencing ability (b=.28, p=.03). There was also a significant interaction between gender and aerobic fitness in predicting letter fluency (b=-.44, p=.004), and marginally predicted working memory (b=-.30, p=.09) and sustained attention (b=-.30, p=.07); in all cases, the males demonstrated a more robust relationship between increased aerobic fitness and better cognitive performance. Aerobic fitness is a strong predictor of cognitive performance among males than in females. Although aerobic fitness is important among youth as evident in its association with increased psychomotor speed, however aerobic fitness and its effect on cognitive performance depends on gender. Future research should be performed on a larger sample group. Future research should look to explore the factors that lead to gender mediating the effects of aerobic fitness on cognitive performance among males.
