Table 1.

Committee-assigned grades for the effects of physical activity on various ages and clinical outcomes.

Population or Measure	Outcome	Grade
Children <6 yrs	Insufficient evidence to determine the effects of moderate-to-vigorous PA on cognition	Not Assignable
Children 6-13 yrs	Both acute and chronic moderate-to-vigorous PA interventions improve brain structure and function, as well as cognition, and academic outcomes	Moderate
Children 14-18 yrs	Limited evidence to determine the effects of moderate-to-vigorous PA on cognition	Limited
Young and middle Aged Adults 18-50 yrs	Insufficient evidence to determine the effects of moderate-to-vigorous PA on cognition	Not Assignable
Older Adults >50 yrs	Both acute and long-term moderate-to-vigorous PA interventions improve brain structure and function, as well as cognition	Moderate
Adults with Dementia	Evidence suggests that PA may improve cognitive function	Moderate
Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment	Greater amounts of PA reduce the risk for cognitive impairment	Strong
Other Clinical Disorders (i.e., ADHD, schizophrenia, MS, Parkinson’s, stroke)	Evidence that moderate-to-vigorous PA has beneficial effects on cognition in individuals with diseases or disorders that impair cognition	Moderate
Biomarkers of Brain Health	Moderate-to-vigorous PA positively influences biomarkers including MRI-based measures of function, brain volume, and white matter	Moderate
Acute Bouts	Short, acute bouts of moderate-to-vigorous PA transiently improves cognition during the post-recovery period	Strong
OVERALL	There is a consistent association between chronic MVPA and improved cognition including performance on academic achievement tests, neuropsychological tests, risk of dementia. Effects are demonstrated across a gradient of normal to impaired cognitive health status	Moderate