Exercise to support learning and other cognitive functions in young adults. A review of the literature

Abstract

Aim: To synthesize empirical evidence (2020–2026) regarding the impact of acute and chronic physical activity on cognition, academic achievement, and neurobiological mechanisms in healthy young adults.

Materials and Methods: A comprehensive synthesis of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and original articles from the PubMed database (2020–2026) using keywords related to physical activity, exercise types (aerobic, endurance), cognition, memory, and young adults/students.

Results: Acute aerobic and resistance exercise moderately improves global cognition, specifically inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. High-intensity protocols (HIIT, SIT) positively correlate with executive function, attention, and processing speed. Higher academic performance (GPA) is associated with physical activity, though mediated by sleep quality, stress regulation, and reduced sedentary behavior. Neurobiologically, exercise elevates BDNF and lactate concentrations (the latter predicting variance in executive tasks) and induces intensity-dependent increases in cortical oxygenation (HbO). Young adults show high sensitivity to intensity-dependent neuroplastic adaptations.

Conclusions: Physical activity is a potent non-pharmacological strategy to optimize brain health and cognitive performance. While direct academic impacts are mediated by lifestyle factors, regular high-intensity exercise drives favorable neurobiological changes and enhances executive functions critical for complex learning.