The immediate effects of acute aerobic exercise on cognition in healthy older adults: a systematic review

Background: Age-related cognitive decline is a worldwide challenge, highlighting the need for safe, effective interventions that benefit cognition in older adults. Harnessing the immediate and long-term pleiotropic effects of aerobic exercise is one approach that has gained increasing interest. Objective: The aim of this review is to provide knowledge on the immediate effects of acute aerobic exercise on cognitive function of healthy older adults and to assess the methodological quality of studies investigating these effects. Methods: A database search in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and Google Scholar was conducted using a systematic search strategy. Results: Fifteen studies were identified and cognitive domains investigated included executive function and visual perception. Results from 14 of 15 studies showed that an acute bout of aerobic exercise can enhance at least one subsequent cognitive performance of healthy older adults when measured within 15 min post-exercise. Conclusion: The small number of studies available, the limited domains of cognition investigated, the great variability between research protocols, and the low overall quality rating limits the conclusions that can be drawn. More comprehensive randomised controlled trials are needed to address these limitations and verify the potential benefits of acute aerobic exercise.