Age, aerobic fitness, executive function, and episodic memory

Abstract

Free recall, executive function, and aerobic fitness were investigated in young (M = 26.10 years) and older adults (M = 66.61 years). Participants encoded words in both active and passive conditions. Results suggested that higher aerobic fitness was positively associated with free recall in older adults, and that this effect was stronger in the more cognitively demanding passive encoding condition. However, within-group analyses suggested that the strength of association between aerobic fitness and free recall might diminish between the ages of 60 and 75 years. Aerobic fitness did not moderate age differences in executive function. The results raise important questions concerning the upper age limit at which aerobic fitness benefits cognition in older adults. Results are discussed with regard to pressing unresolved issues, and future work investigating aerobic fitness and cognition in older adults.