Aerobic Activity Affects Long Term Memory, study

A new study highlights that the more out of shape a person is the more challenging it is to retain information.

Researchers at the Michigan state University offer another strong reason why people should hit the gym despite their tight schedule. The study researchers reveal a strong link between aerobic fitness and long-term memory.

The study was conducted on 75 college students.

Studies conducted in the past on fitness and memory have  mainly concentrated on children to find out how a developing brain develops and seniors who suffer from memory decline. But this is the first study to examine young healthy adults.

As a part of the study the participants were made to study related word pairs like camp and trail. The following day the participants were tested on it. Using this method the researchers evaluated the participant's long term memory retention, which is anything that stays in mind for more than 30 seconds.

This was followed by a treadmill test. The researchers measured the participants' aerobic fitness based on consumption of oxygen that was derived from a treadmill test.  Apart from this the researchers also took into consideration factors that include weight, percent body fat, age and sex,

"The findings show that lower-fit individuals lose more memory across time," said Kimberly Fenn, study co-author and assistant professor of psychology.

This finding is important for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.  The researchers were surprised to see that most of the college students were out of shape and were worst at retaining information when compared to their extremely fit counterparts.

Aerobic activity is known to improve mental health. A study at the Central Queensland University Rockhampton, Australia, showed how aerobic activity keeps depression at bay. 

The current finding appears in the research journal Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience.