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Annals of Psychophysiology                                                                                                        Volume 3, October 2016                  
©Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre                                                                    www.aeirc-edu.com 

ISSN 2412 - 3188 
 

Original Article 

Effect of exercise on cognition in healthy males.  

A comparative study. 
Amaila Fazal1 and Faizan Mirza2 

1. HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center of Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of 

Karachi, Pakistan 

2. Department of Physiology, University of Karachi, Pakistan 

Corresponding Author: faizan@aeirc-edu.com 

 

Abstract 

Cognition is an intellective action of understanding and gaining knowledge through speculation, acquaintance and 

practices that result in awareness, impression and perception. Cognition, Proprioception and balance all are aspects of 

ability of the brain to perform at high level at expense of endurance, speed and power. However, increasing age is 

linked with decrements in periodic memory. Thus, exercise positively impacts brain utility during middle age, 

particularly frontal lobe-mediated intellectual processes, like organization, programing, reticence and operational 

memory. The aim of the present study was to observe whether exercise improve cognitive skills or not. The study was 

conducted on 200 healthy male subjects equally divided in two groups: exercising males and non-exercising males. 

The subjects were asked to fill in a proforma consisting of visual test and a reading test, which aimed at comparative 

evaluation of the duration of short term memory between exercisers and non-exercisers. It was found that exercise 

impacts on frontal lobe to enhance intellectual processes and hippocampus memory processing. 

 

Keywords 

Exercise, cognition, hippocampus, memory. 

 

Introduction 

Cognition is an intellective action of understanding 

and gaining knowledge through speculation, 

acquaintance and practices that result in awareness, 

impression and perception. It describes intellective 

processes that are involved in gaining knowledge and 

apprehension, including knowing, thinking, judging, 

remembering and problem-solving. They all are 

brain’s higher-level functions and beset intelligence, 

language, inventiveness, planning and perception 

(Clegg, 2015). Exercise positively impacts brain 

utility during middle age, particularly frontal lobe-

mediated intellectual processes, like organization, 

programing, reticence, and operational memory. 

Exercise also has the advantage of improving 

cognitive enactment supports the imperious for 

interferences that are fruitful in enhancing physical 

performance, with the results of stimulating fitness 

and efficiency (Ratey and Loehr, 2011). Cognition in 

cognitive and psychology sciences is referred to a 

view of information processing of psychological 

functions of an individual. It is called social cognition 

in branch of social psychology to analyze mood, 

ascription and group fluctuations. Cognition, 

Proprioception and balance all are aspects of ability of 

the brain to perform at high level at expense of 

endurance, speed and power (Clegg, 2015). Gross 

motor control for stabilization or movement of the 

muscle fibers is the function of cerebral cortex while 

the fine motor control of the muscle fibre is the 

function of cerebellum. These fine motor controls are 

used for accurate movements which are skill based 

(Clegg, 2015). 

 

Eight Habits that Improve Cognitive Function 

• Physical Activity 

• Openness to Experience 

• Curiosity and Creativity 

• Social Connections 

• Mindfulness Meditation 

• Brain-Training Games 

• Enough Sleep 

• Reduce Chronic Stress (Bergland, 2014). 

 

Physical activity is somewhat an acute response stress 

that facilitates an individual to react to the alarm 

response. The rapid reaction system is the central 

nervous system along with sympathetic nervous 

system where perception and elucidation occurs. And 

the peripheral nervous system where coordination is 

made with effector muscles (Wilbourn and prosser, 

2003). Physical activity is favourable for brain health 

and cognition while certain hormones that are elevated 

during exercise also help to improve memory, 

cognition and protects against neuro-degeneration as 

individuals engaged in physical activity had a lower 

risk of dementia (Bergland, 2014). Leisure-time 

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Amaila Fazal 15 

  

Annals of Psychophysiology                                                                                                        Volume 3, October 2016                  
©Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre                                                                    www.aeirc-edu.com 

ISSN 2412 - 3188 
 

physical activity (LTPA) executed at least two times a 

week generated extreme neuroprotective effects for 

individuals transversely across sex, capricious grades 

of genetic vulnerability and ages (Tolppanen, et al., 

2014). Eustress and a definite amount of neural 

provocation are necessary to ensure ideal performance 

(Wilbourn and prosser, 2003).

 

 
Fig: 1 Benefits of exercise (Laux, 2015) 

  

 
Fig: 2 Effects of exercise on brain (Laux, 2015) 

 

 
Fig: 3 Exercise Induces Hippocampal BDNF through a PGC-1α/FNDC5 Pathway (Wrann, et al., 2013). 

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Amaila Fazal 16 

  

Annals of Psychophysiology                                                                                                        Volume 3, October 2016                  
©Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre                                                                    www.aeirc-edu.com 

ISSN 2412 - 3188 
 

Neurons are petulant; changes in their surrounding can 

change their rate of depolarization and results in 

changing behavior, feelings and ways of thinking. 

Normal cognitive functions can become reversibly 

compromised when physiological or biochemical 

fluctuations occur in the surrounding of nerve cells. 

Psychosomatic stress sources a series of neural and 

endocrine reactions that assist to preserve the 

individual in an active state of enthusiasm to deal with 

challenge (Wilbourn and prosser, 2003).  Thickness of 

cortex of athletes is more in some areas and it is related 

to outstanding visual processing ability (Wei, et al., 

2011) while thickness of superior temporal sulcus is 

involved in training experience of athletes 

(Lahnakoski, et al., 2012). Physical activity 

unswervingly progresses the blood flow to the brain 

and increases the functional ability of innumerable 

neurotransmitters that are involved in intellectual 

procedures. Mood enhancing properties of physical 

workout may ultimately employ an affirmative effect 

on cognitive working (Kashihara, et al., 2009). 

 

During endurance exercise, brain produced specific 

molecule through chain reaction called irisin, which 

have a neuro-protective effect. Artificially increasing 

irisin levels in blood over expresses genes that are 

involved in learning and memory. Neurogenesis is 

also stimulated by the release of brain-derived 

neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during aerobic exercise 

(Bergland, 2014). BDNF controls irritation, recovers 

the communication of signals within cells, and also 

adjusts the functions of the synapses. 

Physical activity aids both sexes, but there is some 

indication that it might be of better advantage to 

females (at older ages). This may be related to the 

presence of estrogen. 

 

Brain regions affected by exercise 

Nevertheless, the prominence located on the 

hippocampus, an important area for knowledge and 

remembrance. Specifically, it is found that decision-

making functions were particularly improved by 

exercise that is primarily taken in the prefrontal cortex. 

It is also found that there is reduced grey and white 

matter in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortexes of 

those who were less physically fit. The differences in 

the middle-frontal and superior parietal regions of the 

brain were also found due to aerobic fitness.  

Interestingly, it was also possibly found that higher 

cognitive function during sustained and moderate 

exercise reliant on the prefrontal cortex were 

weakened, but not those demanding little prefrontal 

activity (Dietrich and Sparling, 2004). 

 

Methodology 

The study was conducted on 200 male subjects, in the 

age group of   19-32, bearing weight in the range of 50 

kg to 90 kg and height in the range of 5ft to 6ft. They 

were all the resident of Karachi, Pakistan and were not 

suffering from any pathological condition at the time 

of survey. Survey was done randomly in the campus 

of University of Karachi as well as from local gyms of 

Karachi city. 

Standard Group: 

 It comprises of 100 subjects. The individuals of this 

group were used as a control. Questionnaire was filled 

by the individual consisting of visual and reading short 

term memory test and time was calculated. All the 

subjects in this group were healthy and were not 

engaged in any sort of physical activity or exercise.  

Experimental Group: 

It comprises of 100 subjects. The individuals of this 

group were used as test. Questionnaire was filled by 

the individual consisting of visual and reading short 

term memory test and time was calculated. All the 

subjects in this group were healthy and were engaged 

in exercise from couple of years.  

 

Result  
All the individuals show increase in their cognitive 

skills after exercise as took less time during reading 

and visual test while testing short term memory. 

 

Reading test:  
Subjects took about 8% (10.57 ± 5.285) less time to 

complete reading test than control group indicating 

increased short term memory after exercise. 

 

Visual test: 

Subjects took about 11% (8.01 ± 4.005) less time to 

complete visual test than control group indicating 

enhanced cognitive skills after exercise. 

 

Parameter Non Exercising Males Exercising Males 

Visual test (time in seconds) 29.21 ± 2.4893 18.64 ± 1.4365 

Reading test (time in seconds) 39.65 ± 1.7691 31.64 ± 1.5995 

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Amaila Fazal 17 

  

Annals of Psychophysiology                                                                                                        Volume 3, October 2016                  
©Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre                                                                    www.aeirc-edu.com 

ISSN 2412 - 3188 
 

 

 

Discussion 
Time taken by exercising males is far less than non-

exercising group in visual test. P value was found to 

be 0.001 in visual test, which is less than 0.05, so 

difference between exercising group and non-

exercising group is significant. Exercise positively 

impacts frontal lobe-mediated intellectual processes 

during middle age (Ratey and Loehr, 2011).  

Thickness of cortex of athletes is more in some areas 

that are related to outstanding visual processing ability 

(Wei, et al, 2011). Psychosomatic stress sources a 

series of neural and endocrine reactions that assist to 

preserve the individual in an active state of enthusiasm 

to deal with challenge (Wilbourn and prosser, 2003).  

 

Time taken by exercising males is less than non-

exercising group in reading test. P value was found to 

be 0.000 in reading test, which is less than 0.05, so 

difference between exercising group and non-

exercising group is significant indicating increased 

exercise induced cognitive skills. Physical activity is 

favourable for brain health and cognition while certain 

hormones that are elevated during exercise also help 

to improve memory and cognition (Bergland, 2014). It 

was found that exercise impacts on frontal lobe to 

enhance intellectual processes. Exercise also impact 

hippocampus memory processing as observed by 

reading test. Specifically, it is found that decision-

making functions were particularly improved by 

exercise that is primarily taken in the prefrontal cortex 

(Dietrich and Sparling, 2004). 

 

Conclusion 

Exercise do increase memory along with cognitive 

skills and also improve hippocampal function by 

elevating level of hormones like irisin and elevating 

levels of brain derived neurotropic factor that 

ultimately improves synaptic plasticity. Further 

investigations could also be done in this field by doing 

animal studies on mice using Morris water maze that 

is widely used to study spatial learning and memory. 

 

Competing Interests  

No competing Interests found.  

 

Acknowledgment  
The authors would like to acknowledge the authorities 

of Murtaza Gym, Rangers Head Quarter Gym and Eid-

Gah Gym for their valuable participation and the 

efforts of students of University of Karachi, for their 

valuable input in completing Questionnaire. 

 

0

10

20

30

40

Test (exercising) Control (non exercising)

Time

Visual test

31.64

39.65

0

10

20

30

40

50

Test (exercising) Control (non exercising)

Time

Reading test

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Amaila Fazal 15 

  

Annals of Psychophysiology                                                                                                        Volume 3, October 2016                  
©Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre                                                                    www.aeirc-edu.com 

ISSN 2412 - 3188 
 

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18 

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