{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T05:08:56Z","timestamp":1785820136414,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,26]],"date-time":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1719360000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The present study examined the impact of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on cognitive abilities in eighth grade students at one middle school in southeastern US. It is known that youth do not meet recommended physical activity levels, yet there is research demonstrating a clear connection between aerobic exercise and academic performance. There is a gap in evidence regarding anaerobic exercise and cognitive capabilities. If professionals know which type of exercise is most beneficial for enhancing cognition in youth, it will behoove them to incorporate these practices in physical education and other areas throughout the school day for students. Thus, this research aimed to answer the following question: what is the effect of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise on the cognitive functions of eighth grade students, specifically measuring working memory, attention, and impulsivity? Fifty research participants (N = 31 males, 18 females, 1 other), aged 13\u201314, consented\/assented to the complete study protocols. Participants engaged in an experiment containing three different cognitive tasks after partaking in three separate exercise conditions. The cognitive measures were the Stroop color\u2013word task, the Flanker test, and the Go\/No Go task, which all measured reaction time and the number of correct responses. The exercise conditions were baseline (after no exercise), aerobic (after a continuous running activity in PE), and anaerobic (after completing an interval dumbbell workout in PE). Each condition took place on a separate day to decrease the effect of confounding variables. The data were analyzed using the Scheffe modification of the MANOVA to determine whether multiple levels of the independent variable influenced the dependent variables (the reaction time and number of correct responses) or if a combination of variables influenced the outcomes. Each cognitive test was analyzed separately. The results showed that the exercise condition did significantly impact the reaction time and the number of correct responses for the Stroop color\u2013word task [F(4, 254) = 8.59, p &lt; 0.001; Pillai\u2019s Trace = 0.24]. Specifically, aerobic exercise improved both reaction time (p &lt; 0.001) and the number of correct responses (p = 0.001) compared to baseline, while anaerobic exercise improved just reaction time compared to baseline. To find out more detailed information about the specific dependent variable affected by the exercise program, individual ANOVA tests were conducted, resulting in statistical significance for both the number of correct responses and reaction time regarding the program. The partial Eta2 of 0.07 for the number of correct responses and 0.24 for reaction time indicated that 7% of the variance in correct responses and 24% of the variance in reaction time could be explained by the exercise program. While both are significant, reaction time is more impacted by exercise program than correct responses are. Given these findings, it is recommended that aerobic physical activity be offered in school prior to assigning cognitively challenging tasks, while quick anaerobic activity breaks should be used to refocus students\u2019 attention. More research should be conducted to examine other cognitive abilities, as well as in other populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph21070833","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,28]],"date-time":"2024-06-28T03:42:30Z","timestamp":1719546150000},"page":"833","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise\u2019s Impact on Cognitive Functions in Eighth Grade Students"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Heather","family":"Erwin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, College of Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Schreiber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, College of Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rossi, L., Behme, N., and Breuer, C. (2021). Physical activity of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic\u2014A scoping review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182111440"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"McGregor, G. (2024, May 06). How Exercise Affects the Brain. Life Sciences. Available online: https:\/\/lifesciences.byu.edu\/how-exercise-affects-your-brain."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1164","DOI":"10.5114\/aoms.2015.56342","article-title":"Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its clinical implications","volume":"11","author":"Bathina","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch. Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2024, May 06). Physical Activity Reduces Stress. Available online: https:\/\/adaa.org\/understanding-anxiety\/related-illnesses\/other-related-conditions\/stress\/physical-activity-reduces-st."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1044","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroscience.2009.01.057","article-title":"The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children","volume":"159","author":"Hillman","year":"2009","journal-title":"Neuroscience"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1080\/02701367.2018.1431602","article-title":"Academic-based and aerobic-only movement breaks: Are there differential effects on physical activity and achievement?","volume":"89","author":"Fedewa","year":"2018","journal-title":"Res. Q. Exerc. 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Methods Med."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"779","DOI":"10.1111\/cch.12255","article-title":"The effects of physical exercise in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials","volume":"41","year":"2015","journal-title":"Child Care Health Dev."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/21\/7\/833\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T15:05:06Z","timestamp":1760108706000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/21\/7\/833"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,26]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph21070833"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph21070833","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,26]]}}}