This document discusses the relationship between physical activity, exercise, and cognition. It outlines how exercise can improve both physical and brain health, and summarizes several key studies. Animal and human research shows that exercise improves learning, memory, and cognitive processing. Studies in elderly adults find that those with more active lifestyles perform better on reaction time tasks. The document also reviews evidence that both acute and long-term exercise can boost cognitive performance and academic achievement in children.

2. Outline
• Physical health and cognition
• how exercise improve general health?
• physical health vs. brain health
• Sport and cognition (coming soon)
• can elite athletes show superiority in
cognitive processing?
• Inside the brain of athletes

5. Definitions of physical-health-related factors
• Fitness
• A general state of good health, usually as a result of exercise
and nutrition
• subcomponents of physical fitness: muscle, cardiovascular..
• Physical activity
• Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that
requires any energy expenditure
• Physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor of global
mortality

6. Why this issue is important?
Wen et al., 2011, The Lancet
The relationship between physical activity volume and mortality reduction compared with
individuals in the inactive group
A prospective cohort study with 416175 individuals from 1996 to 2008 in Taiwan

8. The relation between exercise and
cognition
Animal models

9. Exercise improve learning and memory in mice
Vaynman & Gomez-Pinilla et al., 2006, J. Neuro. Res.

10. Robinson & Bucci, 2014, Neuroscience

11. Liu et al., 2009, J. Physiol.

12. The relation between exercise and
cognition
Human studies

13. Insights into the brain across
lifespan
Craik & Bialystok, 2006, Trend. Cog. Neurosci.

14. Active lifestyle vs. reaction times in elderly adults
• Reaction time (RT) tasks have often been used to
assess cognitive performance in adult adults
Spirduso, 1975, J. Gerontol.
150
190
230
270
310
Simple RT Choice RT
Young Active old
Inactive old
RTinms

15. aerobic training group
control group
6 months
Pre-test Post-test
Selective benefits of physical exercise for
cognitive functioning
Impulsive Stopping
Cognitive Switching
Conflict solving
Impulsive Stopping
Cognitive Switching
Conflict solving
Kramer et al, 1999, Nature

16. Selective benefits of physical exercise for
cognitive functioning
Kramer et al, 1999, Nature
>>>>> >><>>
compatible incompatible

17. What is the
neural
mechanisms

18. Structural imaging approaches
Colcombe et al., 2006, J. Gerontol. Med. Sci.
blue areas = Gray matter; Yellow areas = White matter

19. Flank Effects
A ----> 舉左手
B ----> 不舉手
C ----> 舉右手
A CB

20. A A AA A B A AC A CA C B C B C AC A B A CB A B
看中間字母做舉手反應
++++++

21. Functional imaging approaches
Colcombe et al., 2004, PNAS

22. Functional imaging approaches
Hillman et al., 2004, Res. Quart. Exer. Sport
latency
amplitude
latencyAmplitude

23. Greater memory performance and
hippocampus volumes in higher-fitness children
53
55
57
59
61
Low-fit High-fit
Memoryperformance(d’)
6200
6700
7200
7700
8200
Low-fit High-fit
Volume(mm3)
Chaddock et al., 2010, Brain Res.

24. Afterschool physical activity may benefit
working memory in children
Kamijo et al., 2011, Dev. Sci.

26. Greater physical fitness is associated with
better academic performance in children
Catelli et al., 2007, J. Sport Exer. Psychol.
BMI
Subcomponents

27. Another
approach
acute effect of exercise on
cognitive performance

28. Acute exercise improves neurocognitive
performance
Hillman et al., 2003, Int. J. Psychophysiol.

29. Acute exercise improves neurocognitive
and academic performance
Hillman et al., 2009, Neuroscience

30. Acute exercise improves neurocognitive
and academic performance
Hillman et al., 2009, Neuroscience
copy from Hillman’s research presentation

32. Interesting problems in Taiwan

33. WHO 2011 recommendations of physical activity
• Children aged 5 - 17 years
• 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity
• 3 times per week
• aerobic activities or those help strengthen muscle and bone
• Adults aged 18 - 64 years
• at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity
• at least 2 days/week of muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups
• Older adults aged 65 and above
• at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity
• at least 3 times/week of physical activity with balance improvement
• at least 3 muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups
• As could as possible

34. Take home messages
• Exercise may help maintain or improve brain
functions in elderly adults
• Children with higher levels of fitness may have
greater cognitive functions and better academic
achievement
• Why you sit here??

35. Exams
•
( )

36. Thank you for your attention!