The Relationship Between Aerobic Capacity and Cognitive Performance

Aerobic capacity is the capacity to deliver oxygen from the outside to the skeletal muscles. The best and most reliable criterion for aerobic capacity is the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), which is measured using a progressive test protocol. VO2max can be measured by the indirect and direct methods in submaximal and maximal exercise tests. Genetics, age, sex, activity level, body mass index, and exercise mode can be counted as factors affecting VO2max. All steps in the delivery of oxygen to the muscles include factors that may have a limiting effect on VO2max, the most effective of which is the maximal cardiac output. Cognitive performance is the mental ability to process and evaluate the knowledge acquired through experience or learning, and involves different cognitive functions such as inhibitory control, processing speed, working memory, cognitive flexibility, visual spatial processing, problem solving, and learning. Aerobic activity is a powerful stimulus for improving the mental health and the structural changes in the brain. This review addresses the relationship between cognitive functions and aerobic capacity and the level of cognitive performance-increasing exercis