Last year, for a four month period, I was recruited to be involved in a global research study project backed by ASICS that had the objective of investigating the link between cognitive performance and exercise. As the study has been completed, and the results published, I’m now able to share it with you, my fitness community. The following blog post is a summary of what happened and the results.
A bit about the research study
ASICS aims to inspire more people to experience the uplifting effects of sport and movement on the mind and will be running a unique study to investigate the link between exercise and cognitive performance.
The study was conducted with approximately 100 inactive ‘mind athletes’ - people who prior to the study did less than 30 minutes of exercise per week and who play games such as e-sports, speed cubing and chess at tournament level.
The gamers were put on a bespoke training programme for four months and had their cognitive abilities, mental performance and physical health assessed throughout. (ASICS, 2022).
My role as a personal trainer was very similar to what I do in my day to day role – try and help individuals see the benefits of exercise, keep them accountable and help them stay motivated and committed during the four months. Also with the two participants I had, we had our own aim of giving them a skill set that would allow them to continue exercising on their own once the study was over. I also had to report the results of the fitness testing I did back to the study lead.
The results
At a group level, after four months of exercise, the gamers’ average national rankings improved by almost 50% and their international rankings improved by an incredible 75%. Their cognitive function was boosted on average by 10%, with problem solving abilities improving by 9%, short-term memory increasing by 12% and processing speed and alertness improving by 10%. (ASICS, 2022)
Their wellbeing was also significantly uplifted, with State of Mind Scores improving by 31%. The average State of Mind Score at the start of the study was a low 58 and at the end it had increased to high 76. Group confidence levels soared by 44%, concentration improved by 33% and anxiety levels dropped by 43%. The gamers’ fitness levels also improved significantly, with average running distances increasing by 17% and strength levels surging by 58%. (ASICS, 2022)
Study conclusion
As such, we are able to conclude from our experiment that exercise does improve mental performance in elite mind gamers who were previously inactive. If exercise can do this for the world’s brightest minds, imagine what it could do for the rest of us… (ASICS, 2022)
Whilst conducting the study, four of the gamers were filmed to see if exercise could improve their gaming performance on the international stage. The result is a new documentary ‘Mind Games – The Experiment’, which is available now on Prime Video.
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0M31PJCB5L06SU6TMCN49ZJMHP/ref=atv_hm_hom_c_cjm7wb_2_1(ASICS, 2022)
Being physically active on a regular basis has so many benefits for our overall health and wellbeing that go beyond the physical aspect alone. The wide range of positive benefits of physical activity is something that those who are training with me currently, as well as those who have in the past, will know is something that I consider to be of utmost value. Seeing it confirmed through a research study that had a specific scope of study is something that I find very satisfying. Knowing that I have the capacity to be involved in making positive contributions in each of your lives is rewarding. I continue to look forward to helping each of you, in one way or another, better your lives.
DK
References
ASICS. (2022). ASICS Research Study Personal Trainer/Running Coach Brief and Scope of Work.
