It's all over the Internet that Charles Barkley remembers he ate two pizzas and drank three beers right before an NCAA tournament -- and scored 44 points! Whether that's fact or fiction, when we praise the positive impact of athletics and physical activity on memory, that's not what we're talking about.
A new analysis in the journal Memory reviewed data in 21 studies and found that athletes' working memory is significantly better than non-athletes and markedly better than folks who are sedentary.
Working memory is the ability to retain and manipulate information, and is very important in the efficiency and quality of cognitive processing that athletes need to act quickly and appropriately. For example, football players rely on working memory to keep tabs on their teammates' and opponents' movements and to help them make quick, strategic decisions.
Physically active folks who aren't officially "athletes" also benefit from moderate to vigorous activities. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that improvements in cognition, processing speed, memory, and executive function when folks get regular exercise -- and the more they get, the greater the protection of their brain power.
So, make sure you enjoy 300 minutes of makes-you-sweat activity and two strength-building sessions weekly -- and do avoid lousy diet plans! Even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is now saying, "I wish I'd eaten healthier foods to build a better body."
For info on healthy diets, maintaining an exercise routine and protecting cognition, check out the free newsletter at LongevityPlaybook.com and "Best Workout Supplements" at the Wellness Hub at iHerb.com/blog.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).