Abstract

Purpose: to assess the capacity of working memory in young adults depending on the level of physical activity. Background: Positive influence of PA on cognitive abilities is especially expressed in the executive functions, including the working and short-term memory. Methods: A cross sectional study included 90 participants, with a mean age of 21.4 years, age range 16-34, divided into three groups: a group of sedentary individuals (a low level of PA); a group of participants involved in leisure-time physical activities (a moderate level of PA); a group of athletes (a high level of PA). The Digit Span-Forward test was used as measure of short term memory. The Digit Span-Backward requires participants to repeat a series of numbers, ranging in length from two to eight digits, in reverse sequence and it is thought to call on participants’ working memory. Results: DSF score was as follows: sedentary individuals =9.20±1.58; participants involved in recreational activity=10.37±1.29; athletes=11.33±1.65. The results on the DSB test were as follows: for the participants with a low degree of PA mean value for DSB score was 6.83 ±1.70 points; the group with a moderate level of PA had score 7.77±1.48 point and the participants with a high level of PA had score 7.97±1.40 points. Conclusion: our results have shown a statistically significant trend of increasingly higher mean scores of cognitive parameters in the participants with a higher level of long-term physical activity. These results support the hypothesis that physical exercise has a positive impact on the working memory capacity in young adults.

Key words: working memory, physical activity, young adults