A claim you hear on longevity podcasts

Does exercise improve learning and memory?

The claim checked: Exercise enhances learning and memory in humans as well as animals Hear it at 1:22:20

What do the studies say?

Leaning for

Five of ten studies found gains in memory or cognition from exercise, mostly small. One pooled analysis in healthy older adults found no benefit, three trials found no clear memory gain, and one found gains only in older adults with mild memory impairment.

Computed from 10 studies that test this point, each judged by two readers, in full. 4 more studies are waiting for a full read and do not count yet.

What was said on the podcast?

“So now I'd like to talk about other tools that you can leverage that have been shown in quality, peer-reviewed studies to enhance learning and memory. And perhaps one of the most potent of those tools is exercise. There are numerous studies on this in both animals and fortunately now also in humans.”
Andrew Huberman, Huberman Lab · Understand & Improve Memory Using Science-Based Tools · 1:22:20 on YouTube
Comes up in 10 episodes of the show.
The point checked Leaning for

Exercise enhances learning and memory in humans (and animals)

Agree 5

pooled analysis · 2010 · landmark

“Aerobic exercise was associated with modest improvements in memory relative to controls (g = .128 [95% CI: .015 - .241], P = .026) (Figure 4) and effects were of similar magnitude across studies (Q15 = 9.030, P = .876).”

Aerobic exercise and neurocognitive performance: a meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials. Psychosom Med
Who: Non-demented adults aged 18+ (mostly older adults, some with MCI, depression or chronic disease) in randomized trials of supervised aerobic exercise
PMID 20223924

pooled analysis · 2018 · landmark

“The effect of exercise on cognition was statistically significant for all domains, except global cognition.”

Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med
Who: Community-dwelling adults older than 50 years (with or without mild cognitive impairment) in randomised controlled trials of supervised exercise
PMID 28438770

pooled analysis · 2019 · landmark

“Although exercise carried some beneficial effects for executive function (d = 0.25) and memory (d = 0.24) in healthy older adults, these effects were small and not dose-dependent.”

Dose-response relationship between exercise and cognitive function in older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One
Who: randomized controlled trials of chronic exercise in older adults (mean weighted age 72.8), healthy or with MCI, vascular cognitive impairment or dementia
PMID 30629631

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systematic review · 2018 · landmark

“Independent of the children’s age category (early, mid, or late childhood), increased physical activity has been shown to improve cognitive function, especially in regard to working memory, V-S memory, and cognitive flexibility.”

Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health
Who: Children (early, mid and late childhood) in studies published 2000-2017
PMID 29671803

systematic review · 2020 · landmark

“Both types of PE improved memory and learning in animal and human models.”

Effects of Physical Exercise on Neuroplasticity and Brain Function: A Systematic Review in Human and Animal Studies. Neural Plast
Who: systematic review of 21 studies: 15 in rats/mice and 6 in humans (ages 18-80, including older adults and women with MS)
PMID 33414823

Partly agree 4

controlled trial · 2011 · landmark

“However, the aerobic exercise group did not improve performance above that achieved by the stretching control group, as demonstrated by a nonsignificant Time × Group interaction [F(1,102) = 0.67; P < 0.40; ηp2 = 0.007].”

Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Who: 120 sedentary community-dwelling older adults without dementia, aged 55-80
PMID 21282661

controlled trial · 2013 · landmark

“The results suggested that an exercise intervention is beneficial for improving logical memory and maintaining general cognitive function and reducing whole brain cortical atrophy in older adults with amnestic MCI.”

A randomized controlled trial of multicomponent exercise in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. PLoS One
Who: 100 community-dwelling older adults in Japan (mean age 75) with mild cognitive impairment; 50 with amnestic MCI in a sub-analysis
PMID 23585901

controlled trial · 2017 · landmark

“There was no apparent effect of intervention on primary outcome measures of Memory and Executive Function or in depressive symptoms (Table 2).”

Aerobic exercise for Alzheimer's disease: A randomized controlled pilot trial. PLoS One
Who: Older adults (55+, mean age 72.9) with probable early Alzheimer's disease (CDR 0.5 or 1), sedentary
PMID 28187125

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controlled trial · 2018 · landmark

“However, no significant changes (time x group interaction; p > 0.05) in memory, cognitive flexibility, or working memory were observed between intervention and either control group ( Table 2 ).”

Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Cognitive Function and Physical Performance in Cognitive Frailty: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Nutr Health Aging
Who: older adults (mean age 73.9, 70% female) in Seoul with cognitive frailty (CDR 0.5 plus pre-frail or frail, no dementia)
PMID 30272098

Disagree 1

pooled analysis · 2015 · landmark

“We found no evidence in the available data from RCTs that aerobic physical activities, including those which successfully improve cardiorespiratory fitness, have any cognitive benefit in cognitively healthy older adults.”

Aerobic exercise to improve cognitive function in older people without known cognitive impairment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev
Who: Cognitively healthy adults aged over 55 in RCTs of aerobic exercise programmes vs active control or no intervention
PMID 25900537

What else was said but not tested?

  • Cardiovascular exercise seems to increase dentate gyrus neurogenesis in the hippocampus (mostly animal data)
  • Exercise is perhaps one of the most potent tools for memory
  • Minimum 180-200 min/week zone 2 (he tied this to broader health, not memory specifically)

More on exercise and muscle

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