This meta-analysis by Chang et al. (2012) reviews the effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance, aiming to provide an updated and comprehensive analysis of the existing literature. The study included 79 studies with a total of 1034 effect sizes, representing data from 2072 subjects. The overall effect size was small but significant (d = 0.097), indicating a positive impact of acute exercise on cognitive performance. The effects were consistent across different paradigms: during exercise, immediately following exercise, and after a delay. Key moderators examined included exercise intensity, timing of cognitive assessment, cognitive task type, and participant fitness level. The results showed that exercise intensity did not significantly moderate the effects during exercise but influenced the timing of cognitive assessment, with lighter to moderate intensity exercises being more beneficial immediately after exercise. The cognitive task type categorized as executive function tasks had the largest positive effects, while reaction time and memory tasks showed smaller or no significant effects. Fitness level also moderated the effects, with highly fit participants showing larger positive effects. The study concluded that acute exercise generally has a small positive effect on cognitive performance, with larger effects observed for specific cognitive outcomes and when specific exercise parameters are used.This meta-analysis by Chang et al. (2012) reviews the effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance, aiming to provide an updated and comprehensive analysis of the existing literature. The study included 79 studies with a total of 1034 effect sizes, representing data from 2072 subjects. The overall effect size was small but significant (d = 0.097), indicating a positive impact of acute exercise on cognitive performance. The effects were consistent across different paradigms: during exercise, immediately following exercise, and after a delay. Key moderators examined included exercise intensity, timing of cognitive assessment, cognitive task type, and participant fitness level. The results showed that exercise intensity did not significantly moderate the effects during exercise but influenced the timing of cognitive assessment, with lighter to moderate intensity exercises being more beneficial immediately after exercise. The cognitive task type categorized as executive function tasks had the largest positive effects, while reaction time and memory tasks showed smaller or no significant effects. Fitness level also moderated the effects, with highly fit participants showing larger positive effects. The study concluded that acute exercise generally has a small positive effect on cognitive performance, with larger effects observed for specific cognitive outcomes and when specific exercise parameters are used.