Hidden in plain sight: verbal declarative memory effects of exercise are eight times larger than aggregate estimates suggest.
Overview
- School of Foreign Languages, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai, China
- Physical Education Department, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai, China
Abstract
Objective: A recent meta-meta-analysis concluded that the average effect of exercise on memory is near zero after correcting for publication bias (SMD = 0.027). We tested whether this null finding reflects excessive aggregation rather than a genuine absence of effect.
Methods: We conducted a focused reanalysis a publicly available meta-meta-analytic database, applying a theoretically motivated outcome reclassification protocol to isolate verbal declarative memory (VDM). From 2,239 effect-size estimates spanning 215 meta-analyses, k = 37 VDM-specific estimates were synthesized using a random-effects model. Publication bias was assessed via Egger’s test, PET-PEESE, and trim-and-fill.
Results: The pooled effect was g = 0.216 [95% CI (0.075, 0.357), p = 0.003], approximately eight times larger than the aggregate estimate of 0.027. Moderate heterogeneity was observed (I2 = 56.1%), with no significant funnel plot asymmetry (p = 0.458). Aerobic exercise produced the most robust benefit (g = 0.229, k = 27).
Conclusion: The null aggregate memory effect masks a meaningful signal for verbal declarative memory. The findings support domain-specific exercise prescriptions: for hippocampus-dependent verbal memory, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise represents an evidence-supported strategy for enhancing retention.
Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.
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Data
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Data availability statement
Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. This data can be found at: doi: 10.17605/
Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.
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Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record
Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, pages, dates, 2 authors, 6 keywords, 47 references.
Cite
This paper
Tian, M., & Guo, S. (2026). Hidden in plain sight: verbal declarative memory effects of exercise are eight times larger than aggregate estimates suggest. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 20, 1902252. https://
BibTeX
@article{tian2026hidden,
author = {Tian, Mengxuan and Guo, Sainyu},
title = {{Hidden in plain sight: verbal declarative memory effects of exercise are eight times larger than aggregate estimates suggest}},
journal = {Frontiers in human neuroscience},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
volume = {20},
pages = {1902252},
publisher = {Frontiers Media SA},
issn = {1662-5161},
doi = {10.3389/
url = {https://
pmid = {42755982},
pmcid = {PMC13582202}
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
AU - Tian, Mengxuan
AU - Guo, Sainyu
TI - Hidden in plain sight: verbal declarative memory effects of exercise are eight times larger than aggregate estimates suggest
T2 - Frontiers in human neuroscience
J2 - Front Hum Neurosci
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/
VL - 20
SP - 1902252
SN - 1662-5161
PB - Frontiers Media SA
DO - 10.3389/
UR - https://
LA - en
ER -
CSL-JSON
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"URL": "https://
"language": "en",
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