In research released by activewear company ASICS, exercise is shown to improve cognitive function and mental performance.
The experiment invited competitive gamers from around the world who specialise in mind games and rely on their cognitive function to start an exercise programme.
Professor Brendon Stubbs, a clinical academic and physiotherapist, developed and led the experiment. Each gamer followed a training program designed by runner-turned-international coach Andrew Kastor.
The program involved medium-impact cardio and strength training and increased the gamer’s exercise levels to 150 minutes weekly.
In addition, Professor Stubbs measured the mental improvement of the participants based on their performance in mind games, cognitive tests, and well-being questionnaires over four months.
The participants international gaming rankings improved by 75%. In addition, group confidence levels increased by 44%, concentration improved by 33%, and anxiety levels plummeted by 43%.
Commenting on the results, Professor Brendon Stubbs says, “we all know that exercise is good for our mental and physical health, but the impact on cognitive functioning has been less explored. We wanted to examine the effects of exercise on people who depend on their cognitive abilities – competitive mind gamers. Our results show significant improvements in their cognitive functioning, including concentration levels and problem-solving abilities.”
The study’s Head Coach, Andrew Kastor, who developed the gamers’ training programmes, stated: “These results are astonishing and speak to the power of exercise. Many of the gamers couldn’t jog for longer than a minute at the start of the study, so their training programmes had to be moderate. 150 minutes a week sounds a lot, but when you break it down, this could be 5 sets of 30 minutes. No matter your fitness levels, the mental benefits of exercise are accessible to all.”
The experiment was followed by a camera crew who filmed four competitive gamers as they took part. The documentary ‘Mind Games- The Experiment’ is available to stream on Prime Video from the 19th of January 2023.
