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Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 9, pages 58–65 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

An emerging body of multidisciplinary literature has documented the beneficial influence of physical activity engendered through aerobic exercise on selective aspects of brain function. Human and non-human animal studies have shown that aerobic exercise can improve a number of aspects of cognition and performance. Lack of physical activity, particularly among children in the developed world, is one of the major causes of obesity. Exercise might not only help to improve their physical health, but might also improve their academic performance. This article examines the positive effects of aerobic physical activity on cognition and brain function, at the molecular, cellular, systems and behavioural levels. A growing number of studies support the idea that physical exercise is a lifestyle factor that might lead to increased physical and mental health throughout life.

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Figure 1: Meta-analytic findings of exercise-training effects on cognition in older adults.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the National Institute on Aging (R01 AG25,667, R01 AG25,032, R01 AG021,188) for their support of our research and the preparation of this article. We would also like to thank A. R. Kramer for her help in crafting the article title.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charles H. Hillman is at the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, 213 Louise Freer Hall, 906 South Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,

    Charles H. Hillman

  2. Kirk I. Erickson and Arthur F. Kramer are at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, 405 North Mathews Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,

    Kirk I. Erickson & Arthur F. Kramer

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Glossary

Aerobic fitness

The maximal capacity of the cardiorespiratory system to take up and use oxygen.

Behavioural conflict

The indecision that arises when multiple conflicting responses can be elicited in response to a stimulus.

Dipole modelling

A method to determine the location of the sources that underlie the responses measured in an electroencephalographic experiment. It provides an estimate of the location, orientation and strength of the source as a function of time after the stimulus was presented.

Error-related negativity

(ERN). A negative deflection in a response-locked ERP that reflects neural correlates of action monitoring that is associated with the evaluation of conflict.

Event-related brain potential

(ERP). A time-locked index of neuroelectrical activation that is associated with specific cognitive processes.

Executive control

Computational processes involved in the selection, scheduling and coordination of complex cognitive functions.

Exercise

Repetitive and planned physical activity with the goal of maintaining or improving physical fitness.

P3

A positive deflection in a stimulus-locked ERP that reflects changes in the neural representation of the stimulus environment and is proportional to the amount of attention that is required to encode a given stimulus (amplitude) as well as the speed of stimulus evaluation (latency).

Physical activity

Bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles with the expenditure of energy.

Top-down control

Refers to an individual's ability to selectively process information in the environment. Top-down control relies on an observer's expectancies about events in the environment, knowledge of and experience with similar environments, and the ability to develop and maintain an attentional set for particular kinds of environmental events.

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Hillman, C., Erickson, K. & Kramer, A. Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci 9, 58–65 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2298

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