Abstract
This study investigated the relationships between physical fitness, cognitive performance, and age. Sixty adults, ranging in age from 18 to 90 years, participated in the study. Physical fitness was assessed using an incremental exercise stress protocol. A modified Stroop paradigm consisting of four different tasks with varying degrees of cognitive effort was used to evaluate cognitive performance. A Pearson product moment correlation was used first to evaluate the relationship between age and cognitive performance and secondly the relationship between physical fitness and the cognitive variables. Results revealed a significant correlation (p 0.001) between age and each cognitive variable. The magnitude of the correlation increased as the attentional demand of the task increased. The correlation between physical fitness and cognition revealed a significant correlation (p =£0.05) for two of the four cognitive variables studied. A negative correlation existed between fitness and response time and the magnitude of the correlation between fitness and cognition increased as the attentional demand of each specific task increased. The results support a hypothesis that a degree of fitness in a subject potentiates performance in a mentally demanding task.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 189-194 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 1 1993 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- aging
- cognition
- physical fitness
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rehabilitation
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health