| A search of scientific data bases (for peer reviewed studies) and other Internet sources provides us with a fair amount of research data related to the subject of cognitive enhancement due to physical activity or exercise. Most of this work, while impressive and substantial, has been mostly conducted on three specific groups; elderly adults, young adults and children (pre-adolescents). The purpose of this paper is to first define the relationship between cognition and physical activity through a review of the literature as well as obtaining information of how physical activity potentially works towards enhancing brain functions in adolescent 13-19 year olds. Unfortunately, there was limited research done specific to adolescents. Adolescents have specific variations in processing and especially executive functioning (EF) operations that makes it difficult to apply research results from non-adolescent studies. There is however the possibility of understanding the neuro biological and neuro psychological mechanisms in general, as related to exercise driven cognitive enhancements as well as specific results related to other age brackets.;Keywords: exercise, cognition, adolescents, physical activity. |
