I previously posted on evidence that exercise prior to a learning task improved reading comprehension scores.
You can access that post by clicking HERE.
Now a study has compared two types of activities after a memorization task in male students.
In this study, 60 male students completed a learning task and then were randomized into one of three activities for one hour. The three activities were playing a violent video game, a period of running or a control period of conversation. After the activity period, subjects completed a memory test.
Subjects had salivary cortisol levels examined before and after the learning task at at the time of memory testing.
All subjects had a increase in salivary cortisol levels after the learning phase, but only the running group demonstrated a continued rise in cortisol after the activity phase.
The subjects participating in a running activity performed better on the memory retention test than those in the violent video game and the conversation control groups. There was no correlation between salivary cortisol levels and memory retention.
The authors conclude that their finding has implications for scheduling exercise during the school day for children. They recommend physical exercise following intense learning cycles to promote improved learning efficiency.
Interestingly, in the United States many schools are cutting back on physical education activities due to budget constraints. Such cutbacks may contribute to declining performance on testing metrics.
Readers with more interest in this topic can access the free full text manuscript by clicking on the DOI link in the citation below.
Photo of monarch butterfly is from the author's files.
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Kindermann, H., Javor, A., & Reuter, M. (2016). Playing counter-strike versus running: The impact of leisure time activities and cortisol on intermediate-term memory in male students Cognitive Systems Research, 40, 1-7 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2016.01.002
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