Health Promot Perspect. 2018;8(4): 255-262. doi: 10.15171/hpp.2018.36

PMID: 30479978 PMCID: PMC6249493

Review

Intensity-specific effects of acute exercise on human memory function: considerations for the timing of exercise and the type of memory

Paul D. Loprinzi ¹ *

Cited by CrossRef: 60

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9- Pace M, Loprinzi P. High-Intensity Acute Exercise and Directed Forgetting on Memory Function. Medicina. 2019;55(8):446 [Crossref]

10- Johnson L, Crawford L, Zou L, Loprinzi P. Experimental Effects of Acute Exercise in Attenuating Memory Interference: Considerations by Biological Sex. Medicina. 2019;55(7):331 [Crossref]

11- Loprinzi P, Day S, Hendry R, Hoffman S, Love A, Marable S, McKee E, Stec S, Watson H, Gilliland B. The effects of acute exercise on short- and long-term memory: Considerations for the timing of exercise and phases of memory. Eur J Psychol. 2021;17(1):85 [Crossref]

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14- Loprinzi P, Lovorn A, Gilmore J. Effects of Exercise on Explicit Memory Function: Incidental and Intentional Encoding May Depend on Exercise Timing. Percept Mot Skills. 2021;128(2):865 [Crossref]

15- Wang C, Dai Y, Yang Y, Yuan X, Zhang M, Zeng J, Zhong X, Meng J, Jiang C. Effects of Tai Chi on working memory in older adults: evidence from combined fNIRS and ERP. Front Aging Neurosci. 2023;15 [Crossref]

16- Loprinzi P, Caplan J. Lack of effects of acute exercise intensity on mnemonic discrimination. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 2025;78(3):534 [Crossref]

17- Rigdon B, Loprinzi P. The Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Memory Function: Systematic Review. Medicina. 2019;55(5):127 [Crossref]

18- Lopes T, Goble D, Kerr S, Olivier B. The cognitive fatigue experienced by batters is modulated by the strike rate of a twenty20 innings. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2025;:1 [Crossref]

19- Crawford L, Caplan J, Loprinzi P. The Impact of Acute Exercise Timing on Memory Interference. Percept Mot Skills. 2021;128(3):1215 [Crossref]

20- Loprinzi P, Lovorn A, Hamilton E, Mincarelli N. Acute Exercise on Memory Reconsolidation. JCM. 2019;8(8):1200 [Crossref]

21- Johnson L, Loprinzi P. The effects of acute exercise on episodic memory function among young university students: moderation considerations by biological sex. Health Promot Perspect. 2019;9(2):99 [Crossref]

22- Loprinzi P. An integrated model of acute exercise on memory function. Medical Hypotheses. 2019;126:51 [Crossref]

23- Sun S, Loprinzi P, Guan H, Zou L, Kong Z, Hu Y, Shi Q, Nie J. The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Exercise and Hypoxia on Cognition in Sedentary Young Adults. Medicina. 2019;55(2):43 [Crossref]

24- Yamada Y, Frith E, Wong V, Spitz R, Bell Z, Chatakondi R, Abe T, Loenneke J. Acute exercise and cognition: A review with testable questions for future research into cognitive enhancement with blood flow restriction. Medical Hypotheses. 2021;151:110586 [Crossref]

25- Loprinzi P, Olafson D, Scavuzzo C, Lovorn A, Mather M, Frith E, Fujiwara E. Effects of acute exercise on emotional memory. Cognition and Emotion. 2022;36(4):660 [Crossref]

26- Loprinzi P, Harper J, Olinyk T, Richards J. Effects of acute exercise on directed forgetting. Health Promot Perspect. 2020;10(4):418 [Crossref]

27- Loprinzi P, Blough J, Crawford L, Ryu S, Zou L, Li H. The Temporal Effects of Acute Exercise on Episodic Memory Function: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Brain Sciences. 2019;9(4):87 [Crossref]

28- Li M, Fang J, Gao Y, Wu Y, Shen L, Yusubujiang Y, Luo J. Baduanjin mind-body exercise improves logical memory in long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. 2020;51:102046 [Crossref]

29- Loprinzi P, Javadi A, Jung M, Watson H, Sanderson C, Kang M, Kelemen W. Vigorous-intensity acute exercise during encoding can reduce levels of episodic and false memory. Memory. 2022;30(8):1031 [Crossref]

30- KE J, WANG B. Effects of aerobic exercise on memory and its neurobiological mechanism. Adv Psychol Sci. 2022;30(1):115 [Crossref]

31- Cantrelle J, Loprinzi P. Exercise and Retrieval-Induced Forgetting. Psych. 2019;1(1):405 [Crossref]

32- Loprinzi P, McRaney K, De Luca K, McDonald A. Exercise and Episodic Specificity Induction on Episodic Memory Function. Medicina. 2019;55(8):422 [Crossref]

33- Loprinzi P, Frith E, Crawford L. The Effects of Acute Exercise on Retroactive Memory Interference. Am J Health Promot. 2020;34(1):25 [Crossref]

34- Jung M, Kang M, Blough J, Loprinzi P. Experimental Effects of Acute Exercise on Cognitive-Based Short-Term Memory Improvement: A Meta-analysis of Repeated Measures Studies. J of SCI IN SPORT AND EXERCISE. 2022;4(1):12 [Crossref]

35- Wang F, Jiang Y, Hou L. Effects of different exercise intensities on motor skill learning capability and process. Science & Sports. 2023;38(2):207.e1 [Crossref]

36- Loprinzi P, Storm B. Acute exercise on memory: application of the retrieval-induced forgetting paradigm. Psychological Research. 2023;87(5):1417 [Crossref]

37- Loprinzi P, Loenneke J, Storm B. Effects of acute aerobic and resistance exercise on episodic memory function. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 2021;74(7):1264 [Crossref]

38- Patrick Z, Jung M, McMorris T, Loprinzi P. The effects of acute exercise on memory: considerations for exercise duration and participant body mass index. Psychological Research. 2025;89(3) [Crossref]

39- Farris A, Loprinzi P. Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Acute Exercise on Real-World Ecological Memory. J of SCI IN SPORT AND EXERCISE. 2019;1(1):88 [Crossref]

40- Marchant D, Hampson S, Finnigan L, Marrin K, Thorley C. The Effects of Acute Moderate and High Intensity Exercise on Memory. Front Psychol. 2020;11 [Crossref]

41- Gilbert M, Loprinzi P. The Effects of High-Intensity Acute Exercise on Face-Name Memory in Healthy Young Adults. J of SCI IN SPORT AND EXERCISE. 2022;4(2):188 [Crossref]

42- Crawford L, Loprinzi P. Effects of Intensity-Specific Acute Exercise on Paired-Associative Memory and Memory Interference. Psych. 2019;1(1):290 [Crossref]

43- Johnson L, Yao J, Zou L, Xiao T, Loprinzi P. Mental Imagery and Acute Exercise on Episodic Memory Function. Brain Sciences. 2019;9(9):237 [Crossref]

44- Cantelon J, Giles G. A Review of Cognitive Changes During Acute Aerobic Exercise. Front Psychol. 2021;12 [Crossref]

45- Zhai X, Jin J, Zhu T, Cabral D, Wang D, Chen J, Zhao Y, Wang K. Effects of acute aerobic exercise on emotional memory formation in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder: Encoding vs consolidation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2025;79:102842 [Crossref]

46- Loprinzi P, Rigdon B, Javadi A, Kelemen W. Effects of acute exercise intensity on source episodic memory and metamemory accuracy. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 2022;75(12):2232 [Crossref]

47- Dilley E, Zou L, Loprinzi P. The effects of acute exercise intensity on episodic and false memory among young adult college students. Health Promot Perspect. 2019;9(2):143 [Crossref]

48- Loprinzi P, Gilbert M, Robinson G, Dickerson B. Experimental Investigation Examining the Effects of Acute Exercise on Implicit Memory Function. Eur J Psychol. 2019;15(4):700 [Crossref]

49- Frimpong E, Mograss M, Zvionow T, Paez A, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Bherer L, Pepin V, Robertson E, Dang-Vu T. Acute evening high-intensity interval training may attenuate the detrimental effects of sleep restriction on long-term declarative memory. 2023;46(7) [Crossref]

50- Kunzler M, Carpes F. Intense Cycling Exercise Improves Acute Cognitive Responses. Int J Sports Med. 2020;41(12):879 [Crossref]

51- Loprinzi P, Roig M, Etnier J, Tomporowski P, Voss M. Acute and Chronic Exercise Effects on Human Memory: What We Know and Where to Go from Here. JCM. 2021;10(21):4812 [Crossref]

52- Abbas El-Hagrasy A, Marshall R, Al-Rawahi T, Doherty S, Kumar N, Gaynor D, Cè E. The impact of acute bike desk usage before encoding and during early consolidation on memory task performance in university students and use case evaluation in an educational setting. PLoS ONE. 2025;20(3):e0319658 [Crossref]

53- Beckner M, Lieberman H, Hatch-McChesney A, Allen J, Niro P, Thompson L, Karl J, Gwin J, Margolis L, Hennigar S, McClung J, Pasiakos S. Effects of energy balance on cognitive performance, risk-taking, ambulatory vigilance and mood during simulated military sustained operations (SUSOPS). Physiology & Behavior. 2023;258:114010 [Crossref]

54- Loprinzi P, Chism M, Marable S. Does Engaging in Acute Exercise Prior to Memory Encoding and During Memory Consolidation have an Additive Effect on Long-Term Memory Function?. J of SCI IN SPORT AND EXERCISE. 2020;2(1):77 [Crossref]

55- Ozan M, Buzdağli Y, Baygutalp N, Yüce N, Baygutalp F, Bakan E. Serum BDNF and Selenium Levels in Elite Athletes Exposed to Blows. Medicina. 2022;58(5):608 [Crossref]

56- Babaei P, Azari H. Exercise Training Improves Memory Performance in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Evidence and Possible Mechanisms. Front Hum Neurosci. 2022;15 [Crossref]

57- Loprinzi P, Day S, Deming R. Acute Exercise Intensity and Memory Function: Evaluation of the Transient Hypofrontality Hypothesis. Medicina. 2019;55(8):445 [Crossref]

58- Rubin N, Blanco-Rambo E, Guimarães M, Muraro C, Löbell R, Schröder N, Bromberg E, Argimon I, Cadore E, Pietta-Dias C. Effect of strength, aerobic, and concurrent training on the memory of cognitively preserved older adults: a randomized clinical trial protocol. Geriatr Gerontol Aging. 2024;18 [Crossref]

59- Loprinzi P, Ponce P, Frith E. Hypothesized mechanisms through which acute exercise influences episodic memory. Acta Physiol Hung. 2018;105(4):285 [Crossref]

60- Jung M, Brizes I, Wages S, Ponce P, Kang M, Loprinzi P. Combined effects of acute exercise and hypoxia on memory. Acta Physiol Hung. 2020;107(2):337 [Crossref]