Network meta-analysis of exercise interventions for cognitive function in sedentary adults

Photo by BoliviaInteligente / Unsplash

Frontiers in Medicine Published May 15, 2026 Medically reviewed May 15, 2026 Study authors: Yanyan Shao, Xingnian Long DOI ↗ By Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

Key Takeaway

Consider targeting multicomponent or aerobic exercise for specific cognitive goals in sedentary adults.

This systematic review and network meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of exercise interventions including aerobic, resistance, and multicomponent exercise compared to sedentary controls. The analysis included 2,187 sedentary adults and focused on cognitive outcomes such as global cognition, executive function, and memory function. The authors synthesized findings using SUCRA rankings and standardized mean differences to rank intervention effectiveness across different cognitive domains.

The results indicated that multicomponent exercise was most effective for global cognitive function with a SUCRA of 88.5%, followed by aerobic exercise at 58.3% and resistance exercise at 48.5%. For executive function, aerobic exercise ranked highest with a SUCRA of 90.8%, followed by multicomponent exercise at 50.7% and resistance exercise at 38.1%. Memory function demonstrated a small-to-moderate improvement with a standardized mean difference of 0.33, though the 95% CI ranged from -0.02 to 0.68 and did not reach statistical significance.

The authors note that direct comparisons were rated as moderate quality, whereas most indirect and mixed comparisons showed very low certainty. Safety data including adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, and tolerability were not reported. The practice relevance supports targeting exercise prescriptions to specific cognitive goals. Further high-quality research is warranted for confirmation of these findings.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedMay 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

This study aims to systematically compare and evaluate the effects of different types of exercise interventions on cognitive function in sedentary adults through a systematic review and network meta-analysis, quantifying their relative effectiveness to provide evidence for formulating precise exercise prescriptions. Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO were systematically searched from their inception until December 30, 2025, for RCTs comparing exercise interventions with a sedentary control on cognitive outcomes in sedentary adults. Literature screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment were conducted based on predefined PICOS criteria. For global cognition and executive function, which involved multiple exercise types forming connected networks, a frequentist network meta-analysis was performed to integrate direct and indirect evidence. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve was used to rank interventions. For memory function, due to the absence of a connected network, a standard pairwise meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model. All effect sizes were calculated as standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Seventeen RCTs involving 2,187 sedentary adults were included. Interventions were categorized as aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and multicomponent exercise. The network meta-analysis results indicated that for improving global cognitive function, multicomponent exercise was most effective (SUCRA = 88.5%), followed by aerobic exercise (SUCRA = 58.3%) and resistance exercise (SUCRA = 48.5%). For executive function, aerobic exercise ranked highest (SUCRA = 90.8%), followed by multicomponent exercise (SUCRA = 50.7%) and resistance exercise (SUCRA = 38.1%). For memory function, exercise demonstrated a small-to-moderate improvement compared to control that approached but did not reach statistical significance (SMD = 0.33, 95% CI: −0.02 to 0.68). According to the GRADE framework, direct comparisons were rated as moderate quality, while most indirect and mixed comparisons showed very low certainty, indicating the need for cautious interpretation. Exercise interventions effectively improve cognitive function in sedentary adults, with effects demonstrating domain specificity. Multicomponent exercise appears optimal for enhancing global cognition, while aerobic exercise shows prominent benefits for improving executive function. These findings support targeting exercise prescriptions to specific cognitive goals, although further high-quality research is warranted for confirmation. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251253097, identifier PROSPERO (CRD420251253097).