Metacognitive function in young adults is impacted by physical activity, diet, and sleep patterns.

Our cognitive capacities like working memory and attention are known to systematically vary over time with our physical activity levels, dietary choices, and sleep patterns. However, whether our metacognitive capacities--such as our strategic use and optimization of cognitive resources--show a similar relationship with these key lifestyle factors remains unknown. Here we addressed this question in healthy young adults by examining if physical activity, diet, and sleep patterns were predictive of self-reported metacognitive status.

Corrigendum: Variability in Executive Control Performance Is Predicted by Physical Activity.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.

Variability in Executive Control Performance Is Predicted by Physical Activity.

Physical activity (PA) promotes neurogenesis and has neuroprotective effects on the brain, bolstering the structural and functional resources necessary for improved cognitive functioning. Intraindividual variability (IIV) in cognitive performance is linked to neuropsychological structure and functional ability. Despite evidence of the neurogenerative and neuroprotective effects of PA, limited investigation into the link between PA and IIV has been conducted.

Self-reported free-living physical activity and executive control in young adults.

To what extent do our free-living physical activity (PA) levels impact our cognition? For example, if we engage in more intense PA from one week to the next, does this have a corresponding influence on cognitive performance? Across three studies, young adults completed a validated self-report questionnaire (the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, or IPAQ) assessing their involvement in PA at low, moderate, and vigorous intensities over the past week, as well as computer-based measures of executive control and attentional function. In Experiment 1 we found no significant effect of PA intensity on any of our measures of executive control. In a pair of follow-up control studies we examined whether these null findings could be attributed to testing fatigue and task complexity (Experiment 2), or low cognitive demands of the task (Experiment 3).