September 21, 2026 · British journal of sports medicine · DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2026-111684

Exercise-only interventions and exercise-based multidomain lifestyle interventions to promote cognitive function in older adults without dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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The authors aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise-only interventions versus exercise combined with other lifestyle changes on cognitive functions in older adults without dementia. Their systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that exercise-only significantly improved executive functions, memory, and processing speed compared to control, while exercise-plus was only superior to control for memory and outperformed exercise-only in executive functions and processing speed. The study suggests promoting exercise training for cognitive benefits in older adults, while highlighting the need for further research on the advantages of multidomain interventions.

Rebeca Hernández-Gamboa, Jammy Zou, Jean Oh, Vrinda Dimri, Yeseok Kate Seo, Ryu Lien, Guilherme Moraes Balbim, Narlon C Boa Sorte Silva, Amit Lampit, Ryan Falck, Teresa Liu-Ambrose

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