A recent study shows a link between sporting activity and improved working memory performance, while a sedentary lifestyle appears to be linked to disadvantages.
- Working memory, that of the present, “allows us to manipulate and retain information while carrying out a task or activity.”
- Compared to people with a sedentary lifestyle, athletes have better working memory performance.
- “Our previous work revealed that a physically active lifestyle could partially mitigate the negative effects of aging on these functions,” according to the authors.
“The association between sport and working memory is receiving increasing attention in the field of cognitive science. However, to date, no meta-analysis has compared the working memory performance of athletes and non-athletes”, said scientists from the Department of Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland). That’s why they decided to conduct a study, the results of which were published in the journal Memory.
Brain: work memory is “constantly requested”
As part of the research, the team reviewed 21 cohorts, involving 1,455 people, from seven databases. Athletes mainly participated in basketball, football and fencing, while adults not playing sports included people considered sedentary. Data on their working memory were available. As a reminder, “working memory (or short-term memory) is the memory of the present. The latter allows us to manipulate and retain information while carrying out a task or activity. When constantly requested, it uses a phonological loop (mental rehearsal), which retains the information heard, and/or a visuospatial notebook, which retains mental images. The information they convey can be quickly erased, or stored in long-term memory through specific interactions. between the working memory system and long-term memory”, precise Inserm.
The more you exercise, the better your working memory will be
According to the results, there is a consistent link between sport and better working memory performance, while a sedentary lifestyle appears to be associated with poorer working memory. The advantage of athletes over non-athletes in working memory was found across different types of sport and performance levels. “Our previous work revealed that a physically active lifestyle could partially mitigate the negative effects of aging on these functions,” declared Piia Astikainenprofessor and team leader. The results obtained in athletes therefore add to the evidence of the benefits of sport on human cognition and highlight the importance of physical activity in promoting brain health.
