# Exercise and cognition

10 papers in the library, strongest Strong.

**Graded Strong**: Preregistered network meta-analysis of 55 randomized trials with 4,603 adults with mild cognitive impairment, consistent benefits across every exercise modality.

## Papers (10)

- [Different Workouts, Different Brain Wins in Mild Cognitive Impairment](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/different-workouts-different-brain-wins-in-mild-cognitive-impairment) · Strong · n = 4603 · 2026 · Frontiers in aging neuroscience
- [Creatine Built Muscle in Midlife Adults Even Without a Single Workout](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/creatine-built-muscle-in-midlife-adults-even-without-a-single-workout) · Moderate · n = 64 · 2026 · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
- [Exercise Helps Aging Brains Most If You're Older or Mostly Sedentary](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/exercise-helps-aging-brains-most-if-you-re-older-or-mostly-sedentary) · Moderate · n = 4188 · 2026 · Aging cell
- [Aerobic Exercise May Sharpen the Aging Brain, Especially with Multitasking](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/aerobic-exercise-may-sharpen-the-aging-brain-especially-with-multitasking) · Moderate · n = 16 · 2026 · Frontiers in aging neuroscience
- [Exercise Beats Brain Games for Protecting Aging Minds, Review Finds](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/exercise-beats-brain-games-for-protecting-aging-minds-review-finds) · Moderate · n = 1304 · 2026 · BMJ global health
- [Staying Active in Your 40s and 50s Tied to Sharper Thinking Decades Later](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/staying-active-in-your-40s-and-50s-tied-to-sharper-thinking-decades-later) · Moderate · n = 33295 · 2026 · Frontiers in neuroendocrinology
- [Why Even One Workout Sharpens Your Thinking, According to Research](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/why-even-one-workout-sharpens-your-thinking-according-to-research) · Moderate · n = 101 · 2026 · Muscles (Basel, Switzerland)
- [Why Too Much Exercise May Age the Brain Instead of Protecting It](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/why-too-much-exercise-may-age-the-brain-instead-of-protecting-it) · Preliminary · 2026 · Ageing research reviews
- [Short Bursts of Faster Exercise Beat Steady Cardio for Aging Brains in Rats](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/short-bursts-of-faster-exercise-beat-steady-cardio-for-aging-brains-in-rats) · Preliminary · n = 32 · 2026 · BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation
- [Strength Training May Reshape Brain Markers in Older Adults With Early Alzheimer's Signs](https://longevity-china.com/en/research/strength-training-may-reshape-brain-markers-in-older-adults-with-early-alzheimer-s-signs) · Preliminary · n = 90 · 2026 · Age and ageing

## How this map is computed

A mark's size is the number of papers we hold on that pairing. It is a count, not a weighting by study design or sample size.

The fill shows the strongest grade in the cell. One Strong paper among four Preliminary ones still fills it dark, so open the cell to see the rest.

Grades and verdicts are assigned by a named person, never by counting.

An empty cell is a finding: nobody in our library has run that trial yet.

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_Canonical: https://longevity-china.com/en/evidence/exercise/cognition · Part of Longevity Cities_