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In a breakthrough study, researchers have found that athletes possess significantly better working memory than their sedentary counterparts. This finding adds to a growing body of research linking sports participation with cognitive benefits, particularly in the area of working memory, a critical aspect of mental function used for problem-solving and decision-making.
The study, conducted by the Active Mind group at the Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, is the first meta-analysis to directly compare the working memory performance of athletes and non-athletes. The researchers aimed to explore how sports expertise influences cognitive function, specifically working memory, and how factors such as the type of sport and the athlete’s performance level contribute to these differences.
The results, published in the journal Memory, revealed a consistent advantage in working memory among athletes across various sports and performance levels. Interestingly, the advantage was especially pronounced when comparing athletes to sedentary individuals, rather than just contrasting athletes with a general non-athlete group. This suggests that physical activity may play a key role in improving cognitive function, with a sedentary lifestyle potentially impairing working memory.
Piia Astikainen, Associate Professor and leader of the research team, noted that this study builds upon previous research examining how physical activity can mitigate the cognitive decline often associated with aging. “Our team has previously found that staying physically active helps preserve cognitive and brain function as we age. This new research highlights how engaging in sports can also benefit working memory,” Astikainen said.
The study is part of the SportsFace project, which investigates the effects of sports on cognitive function and face perception. It also forms part of the Ph.D. research of Chenxiao Wu, supervised by Astikainen. The SportsFace project uses both electrophysiological and behavioral measures to examine how physical activity influences cognition and social skills like face recognition.
These findings are a significant step in understanding the relationship between sports, brain health, and cognitive abilities, further reinforcing the importance of physical activity for maintaining optimal mental function.
For more information, the full study is published in Memory, with the citation: Chenxiao Wu et al., “Comparison of working memory performance in athletes and non-athletes: a meta-analysis of behavioural studies,” Memory (2024). DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2024.2423812.
