A study has been published with the aim of determining the efficacy of aerobic physical exercise on cognitive function in healthy adults.

This study, conducted at Columbia University (USA), included 132 cognitively normal people aged 20 to 67 years, non-smokers, sedentary and with below average physical fitness. The study participants were randomized into two groups: aerobic exercise and muscle toning/stretching. They followed a training program of 4 weekly sessions for 6 months.

Aerobic capacity, cognitive function in several domains (executive function, episodic memory, processing speed, language and attention), body mass index and cerebral cortex thickness were measured.

The conclusions of the study were that aerobic physical exercise is effective in improving cognitive function, especially executive function, in people aged 20 to 67 years. The beneficial effect of aerobic exercise has been shown to be more noticeable with increasing age. A significant increase in cerebral cortex thickness has also been observed in relation to aerobic exercise.