Sport as cognition enhancer from childhood to young adulthood: a systematic review focused on sport modality

Abstract

This systematic review aims to synthesise the cognitive effects of different sports. The major novelty is represented by a nuanced distinction of sport modalities beyond the open–closed skills dichotomy and a focus on interventional research to address causality linking sport practice to transient and longer-lasting cognitive outcomes in acute and chronic sport intervention designs, respectively. Four research databases (Web of Science, PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and SportDiscus) were searched for studies reporting on acute and chronic interventions focused on sports and performed with participants between 6 and 25 years old. A total of 30 studies met our inclusion criteria. Overall, single bouts of sport-based activities and extended sports training interventions generate benefits in various cognitive outcome domains. Such benefits vary among cognitive outcomes and between acute and chronic designs, depending on the specific sport modality.