How does exercise affect our cognitive performance?

A new study has found how cognitive performance can improve during aerobic exercise.

During the study, conducted at the University Munich, electroencephalography readings were taken as 24 participants performed a visual working memory task while at rest and during the exercise involving different postures: seated on or pedalling a stationary bicycle, as well as standing or walking on a treadmill.

The findings are published in the British Journal of Psychology.

"Our findings hold implications not only for the field of cognitive psychology, wherein our knowledge has been primarily derived from seated, resting participants, but also for our understanding of cognitive performance at large. Although modern society has evolved to become more and more sedentary, our brains may nevertheless perform best while our bodies are active," said lead author Thomas Tollner.

The investigators found that both aerobic exercise and upright posture improved visual working memory compared with passive and seated conditions. Their analyses also suggest where the neural origins of these observed effects take place.