Athletes may have more than just physical prowess – new research shows they also have superior working memory.
A study from the University of Jyväskylä found a strong link between sports participation and cognitive performance, particularly in contrast to sedentary individuals. The findings suggest that staying active is key not only for physical health but also for maintaining a sharp mind.
Enhancing Working Memory Through Sports
Recent research in cognitive science has increasingly focused on the connection between sports expertise and working memory. Despite this interest, no meta-analysis had previously compared the working memory performance of athletes and non-athletes.
To address this gap, the Active Mind group at the University of Jyväskylä’s Department of Psychology conducted a study examining how sports participation influences working memory. Researchers also explored how factors like sport type and performance level impact cognitive outcomes.
Athletes Show a Clear Cognitive Edge
The study found that athletes consistently outperformed non-athletes in working memory tasks, regardless of the sport they played or their level of competition. This cognitive advantage was even more pronounced when athletes were compared specifically to sedentary individuals, as opposed to a broader non-athlete group. According to doctoral researcher Chenxiao Wu, most of the studies included in the meta-analysis were well-conducted, with minimal risk of bias and no signs of publication bias.
The Link Between Physical Activity and Brain Health
These findings reinforce the strong link between physical activity and enhanced cognitive function. Conversely, a sedentary lifestyle appears to correlate with weaker working memory. Associate Professor Piia Astikainen, who leads the research team, notes that their previous work has shown that staying physically active can help counteract cognitive decline associated with aging. The current study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that regular physical activity supports brain health and cognitive performance.
The SportsFace Project: A Deeper Dive
This research is part of the SportsFace project, which investigates how sports influence cognitive function and face perception using both electrophysiological and behavioral methods. The project, which also forms the basis of Chenxiao Wu’s PhD research under Astikainen’s supervision, aims to deepen our understanding of how physical activity shapes working memory and social cognition.
Reference: “Comparison of working memory performance in athletes and non-athletes: a meta-analysis of behavioural studies” by Chenxiao Wu, Chenyuan Zhang, Xueqiao Li, Chaoxiong Ye and Piia Astikainen, 6 November 2024, Memory.
DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2024.2423812
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2 Comments
The title of this article, “Think Fast: How Sports Supercharge Memory and Mental Agility”, implies that people who engage in sports develop better memory and mental agility. However, this study did not look at the change in mental status following athletic activity, such as taking a group of people and measuring their mental status before and after engaging in sports. It just compared the current mental status of people who do sports to people who are sedentary. It did not show any change.
As a result, as the study admits, “The cross-sectional design of the included studies prevents causal inferences about the effect of sports on WM (working memory) and leaves open the possibility that individuals with better cognitive abilities are more likely to engage in sports. Similarly, weaker WM in sedentary individuals does not necessarily imply that a sedentary lifestyle causes WM decline; it may also reflect that those with lower WM capacity are more prone to sedentary behaviour.”
So when this article says, “These findings reinforce the strong link between physical activity and enhanced cognitive function”, it is incorrect. “Enhanced” cognitive function means that the sports activity increased cognitive function. Enhancement is an improvement. But the study did not look at improvement over time due to sports activity. It merely looked at current cognitive function in sports active versus sedentary people. They didn’t enhance the memory of sedentary people by having them do sports.
This study is purely correlational, and no clear conclusions can be drawn apart from the observation that active people seem different than sedentary people regarding memory. No causal link can be drawn.
Hey Sydney,
Great analysis, I bet you work out.