Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Memory Retention in College-Aged Females

Background/Purpose: The effect of exercise on memory retention and cognitive functioning is a relatively old concept, however, over the last decade there has been a growing interest in this topic. Many studies have been conducted focusing on subjects ranging in age from school-aged children to geriatric patients (Jedrziewski, 2010; Roig, 2012). Today, exercise is viewed as a treatment for physical and psychological ailments alike (Tomporowski, 1986). Exercise has been proven to increase cerebral blood flow thus increasing the availability of oxygen, glucose, and nutrients, which in turn has led to increased memory retention (Potter, 2005). The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on memory retention in college-aged sedentary females. It was hypothesized that 10 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise would increase memory retention. 

Method: Twelve healthy sedentary females (age, yrs. = 21.333 ± 0.651; ht., cm = 166.58 ± 5.68; wt., kg 70.50 ± 7.16) volunteered as participants and signed an IRB #3589676-1 approved consent form. Each subject’s memory was analyzed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning test (Lezak, 1995). In this test the examinee was read a list of 15 words and was then asked to immediately recall them pre-exercise and following a 10 minute moderate intensity aerobic walk on a treadmill. Participants maintained 50-60% of their individual heart rate maximum during their walk (Hoeger, 2007). 

Analysis/Results: A two-tailed t-test (P<0.05) was completed on Minitab 16 to determine if there was a significant difference between pre-exercise (x̅ = .610 ± .168) and post-exercise (x̅ = .760± 1.66) Auditory Verbal Learning test scores. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a significant difference (p= 0.039). 

Conclusions: Based on the statistical analysis, the null hypothesis was accepted. Evidence from this study shows that aerobic exercise has immediate effects on memory retention in college-aged sedentary females. These findings may have occurred secondary to increases in general circulation, blood flow to the brain, and levels of norepinephrine and endorphins caused by exercise (Taras, 2005). This information is important for college-aged sedentary females and college professors alike, striving to improve memory retention. Incorporating aerobic exercise into study sessions and or lectures may greatly improve student’s academic performance.  Although the hypothesis proved to be correct, further research could be completed by obtaining a larger subject group, including male subjects, as well as the K-12 student population.