The Experimental Effects of Acute Exercise on Reducing the Amount of Re-Learning Needed to Enhance Memory Recall

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Emerging research suggests that acute exercise may subserve episodic memory function, including both short- and long-term memory. What has yet to be investigated in the literature is whether acute exercise can increase “savings”, that is, reduce the amount of re-learning needed to enhance recall, which was the purpose of this experiment. Participant were randomized into an experimental exercise group (15-minute moderate-intensity exercise) or a time-matched control group. The Open-Trial Selective Reminding Test (OT-SRT) was used to assess memory function, which was assessed at baseline and 4-hours later. The exercise group (vs. the control group) had slightly more favorable values. For the exercise and control groups, respectively, the number of words recalled after the first exposure to the word list (outcome 1) was 6.10 (1.6) and 5.95 (1.0). In these respective groups, it took the exercise group slightly fewer trials (outcome 2) to retrieve to criterion (5.95 (1.5) vs. 6.35 (1.8)). After the 20-minute delay (outcome 3), the exercise group recalled slightly more words (12.4 (1.6) vs. 12.15 (2.0)). Similarly, after the 4-hour delay (outcome 4), the exercise group recalled slightly more words (11.55 (2.4) vs. 11.25 (2.4). Lastly, for this 4-hour delayed assessment, it took the exercise group slightly fewer trials (outcome 5) to retrieve to criterion (3.00 (0.9) vs. 3.05 (0.7)). However, for the 2 (group) x 5 (outcomes) RM-ANOVA, there was no significant main effect for group (F=0.07, P=.79, η2p=.002) or group by time interaction (F=.25, P=.90, η2p=.007). In conclusion, acute exercise was not associated with better memory function or increased savings. Future work on this novel paradigm is warranted.