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180 Exercise Physiology Research Topics For Students

We know, you are reading this page because you are looking for the best and most interesting exercise physiology research topics one could possibly find on the Internet. After all, the grade you get on your next research paper depends a whole lot on the quality of the topic you manage to find. If you didn’t know, professors pay attention to what you are talking about.

If you manage to impress them right from the start by choosing an exceptional topic, they will usually give you some bonus points. It can really make the difference between a B and an A or even and A+. This is why we are proud to say that, on this page, you will find 180 unique, 100% original topics related to exercise psychology and kinesiology.

Getting The Best Exercise Physiology Research Topics

Many students don’t really pay attention to the topic they choose for their research papers. Unfortunately, they think that their writing skills alone are enough to convince their professor to give them an A+. As you might have guessed it already, this is not true. You can write an amazing paper on a boring topic (a topic that has been used by 3 other students in your class already) and still not get the coveted A+. So, here is why you should give our topics a try:

All of these topic ideas have been created by our professional academic writers. These people have been writing research papers for years, so they know what professors are looking for. Our exercise physiology research paper topics are not only very interesting to write about, they are also relatively easy. You can find plenty of information online about most of them. These topic ideas are 100 percent free. We want to help students get the top grades they need, which means we would never charge you for some great ideas. We are striving to update the list as frequently as possible. Why? Because we want to be able to help as many students as possible with unique topics for their exercise physiology research papers.

We know, you want to take a look at our exercise physiology research topics. Well, without further ado, here they are – organized neatly into relevant categories:

Kinesiology Research Topics

Are you looking for the absolute best kinesiology research topics on the Internet? Take a look at the list below and pick the topic you love right now:

What is kinesiology and what does it do?
The effects of physical activity on human cells
The benefits of adapted physical activity for athletes
Using physical activity to fight disease
Arterial stiffness related to physical inactivity
The effects of physical activity on neurons

Exercise Science Research Proposal Ideas

Do you need to write a research proposal about exercise science? Of course, we have a great list of exercise science research proposal ideas right here for you:

Treatment of athletes’ knee joint injuries
Health benefits of a whole-grain diet
Healthy nutrition for athletes
Physical exercises that alleviate autism symptoms
Physical exercise for increasing bone density
The effects of caffeine on physical exercise
The dangers of sprains
In-depth analysis of insulin levels in bodybuilders
Outdoor physical activity for treating depression
Preventing muscle fiber destruction during physical exercise
The link between aggressiveness and physical exercise
Exercise therapy as a treatment for osteoporosis
Negative effects of intense bodybuilding training

Easy Exercise Science Research Topics

But what if you don’t want to spend too much time working on your exercise science paper? Then you simply pick one of the following easy exercise science research topics:

The best exercises for abs
The best exercises to get rid of belly fat
The importance of warming up
Exercises that work the biceps
Excellent exercises for legs
The latest breakthroughs in exercise science
The workout routing for novice bodybuilders
The best exercises for triceps
Exercises that work the shoulders
Targeting the chest during a workout
Exercises for arms that you can do at home
Exercises that target the glutes
3 methods to get a flat stomach in no time
Latest research in exercise science

Exercise Physiology Topics Of Interest In 2023

If you want to talk about the latest advancements and research in exercise physiology, you need to take a look at our list of exercise physiology topics of interest in 2023:

The role of exercise physiology in combating obesity
The link between aerobic exercise and belly fat
Compare aerobic and anaerobic physical exercises
Using exercise physiology for heart rehabilitation
Can exercise physiology find a cure for diabetes?
Analyze the body’s ability to adapt to difficult physical activity

Kinesiology Topics Your Professor Will Love

In case you want a topic that you are guaranteed to be appreciated by your professor, you should definitely pick one of the kinesiology topics your professor will love:

Is kinesiology a good career?
What I find most interesting about kinesiology
Using kinesiology to find underlying causes of health problems
Applications of kinesiology in modern medicine
Kinesiology applications used by top athletes today
Discuss the 3 major principles of kinesiology

Fitness Research Paper Topics

Why wouldn’t you talk about fitness? There is nothing wrong about it because it is a part of physical exercise research. In fact, here are a few great fitness research paper topics:

Effects of Zumba on the human body
Discuss cross fit training
The benefits of stretching before a workout
Analyze the benefits of circuit training
Is bike riding an effective exercise?
Pilates: effects on the body
Benefits of taking spinning classes
Discuss the way HIIT workouts work
Talk about plyometric exercises
Best routines for strength training
Running and its health benefits
Is yoga a form of physical exercise?

University Level Topics

Be aware that university level topics are not as easy to write about. If you want to try writing such a paper, check out the university level topics below:

Psychological principles in kinesiology
Discuss applied kinesiology in 2023
The biomechanics of the human wrist
Kinesiology applications in developing prosthetics
Developing a diet and workout plan for a bodybuilder from scratch

Controversial Exercise Physiology Topics

There is nothing that could prevent you from writing about a controversial idea. Your professor will love these controversial exercise physiology topics:

Depression and suicide rates in young athletes in the United States
Anxiety and stress caused by extreme physical exercise
Sleep disorders caused by physical exercise
Who can afford expert exercise physiology advice?
The most controversial exercise physiology papers ever published

Topics That Received High Grades

In our experience, some topics received better grades than others. Here are the topics that received high grades. Give them a try:

The best fitness trackers in 2023
The beginner’s guide to meal planning
The correct ratio of fat, carbs and protein
Healthy diets in United States schools
A detailed explanation of muscle contraction
Making muscle fibers grown
Effects of physical activity on the nervous system
Conditions that can be cured with physical exercise
Discuss the process of healing fractures
Effects of physical fitness training dangerous on stroke patients
Changes in physical performance of the elderly over the last 50 years in the UK
Discuss the pros and cons of the Paleo diet
Calculating the amount of protein for bodybuilder meals
Movement patterns that lead to injuries
The link between physical exercise and a correct posture

Physical Exercise And Health Topics

Want to talk about how physical exercise affects the human health? No problem! Take a look at some of the best physical exercise and health topics for 2023 and possibly even 2024:

The link between physical activity and academic performance
Physical exercise can boost the immune system
Study the physical activity of college students
The role of physical exercise in a healthy diet
Effects of HIIT exercises on health
Cardiovascular health and physical exercise
Can physical activity prevent diabetes?

Exercise Science Topics For High School

Are you a high school student? Do you need to write an exercise science academic paper? Then you should definitely take a look at these exercise science topics for high school:

Positive effects of sports video games
Is running good or bad for our health?
Ways to deal with stress as an athlete
Things that can affect sports performance
Effects of barefoot running
Negative effects of prolonged high-intensity interval training exercises
Compare and contrast 3 different popular diets
Preventing sports-related injuries in high schools
Why are some people more flexible?
Discuss the term “neuroplasticity”
Talk about the psychological effects of physical exercise
How do bones develop?
The role of the skeleton in maintaining balance
Can physical exercise make us better people?

Difficult Kinesiology Topics For High School

But what if you want to write about a more difficult topic? We’ve got you covered. Check out our list of difficult kinesiology topics for high school:

Discuss the 3 main principles of kinesiology
The neuroplasticity principle in kinesiology
The role of kinesiology in biomechanics
The adaptation through exercise principle
Training elite athletes using the principles of kinesiology
And in-depth look at the motor redundancy principle
Kinesiology research for developing orthopedics
Applications of kinesiology in sport psychology
Latest research breakthroughs in kinesiology
Is kinesiology a regulated health profession?
Using kinesiology to rehabilitate workplace injuries
Kinesiology in long-term care applications
Benefits of kinesiology for athletes

Health And Fitness Research Topics

Interested about health and fitness? No list would be complete without some exceptional health and fitness research topics, we know. Pick any of these right now:

The 10 best exercises to try at home
Best cardio exercise for home
Improve your fitness and your health
Documenting one-s fitness journey
Pros and cons of sports supplements
The effects of vitamins on your workout
A healthy fitness goal
Benefits of fitness trackers
Discuss the 3 main health benefits of fitness
The best health-focused training plan
Workouts that help people with depression
Negative effects of HIIT on health
3 reasons to avoid physical exercise
Doing workouts and preventing injury
The importance of the shoes you wear during workouts

Physical Activity Research Topics

If you want to write about physical activity, then you should definitely choose one of our relatively simple physical activity research topics:

Effects of brisk walking on the human body
The main benefits of jogging
The biomechanics behind weight lifting exercises
Effects of alcohol on physical activity
Physical activity can prevent colds and the flu
Discuss the link between physical inactivity and noncommunicable diseases
Difference between walking uphill and downhill

Interesting Topics In Exercise Physiology

Our experienced writers and editors managed to compile a list of the most interesting topics in exercise physiology just for you:

The tech behind body composition testing
Talk about elevation training
Interesting hearth rate variability research
What is the maximal aerobic speed?
Talk about the concept of neuroplasticity
Effects physical exercise on cardiovascular health
Effects of nutrition on your workouts

Physical Exercise And Mental Health Topics

Yes, physical exercise really does affect mental health. Here are some very nice physical exercise and mental health ideas that you can write about right now:

How does physical exercise affect your mental health?
Exercises that reduce depression
Why is daily exercise so important?
Physical signs that you are dealing with stress
Exercises that reduce anxiety
Exercises that improve your mood
Physical exercises for autistic children

Physiology Research Topics For College Students

College students who want to write a research paper about physiology should choose one of these unique physiology research topics for college students:

Talk about motor teaching in kinesiology
Pick a muscle and analyze its anatomy
Analyze the biomechanics of the hip
Discuss motor learning in kinesiology
An in-depth look a muscle synergies
Analyze the biomechanics of the intervertebral joints
Gait pattern changes during the human life

Sport Science Research Topics

Interested in some nice sport science research topics that should make writing your academic paper easier? Here is a list of the best ones, just for you:

Best ways to monitor the onset of fatigue
Discuss the role of wearables in sport science
What does sport science do?
An in-depth look at hydration testing
Monitoring the growth of muscles after exercise
Discuss the process of bio-banding
Differences between technical, chronological and biological age

Interesting Topics About Kinesiology

Finally, we have a list of the most interesting topics about kinesiology we could think of. Again, all these ideas are original, so don’t hesitate to snatch one right now:

Athletes that became famous with help from kinesiology
Muscle activation during simple movements
Talk about exercises that increase endurance
Maintaining correct posture during workouts
The biomechanics of running
Discuss about the composition of human bones
An in-depth look at muscular contractions
Best exercises for strength
Best 3 ways to make your muscles grow
The role of the skeleton
Talk about the different types of muscles
Discuss the join structure of humans
Exercises that increase flexibility
The biomechanics of lifting exercises

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The Top 10 Most Interesting Exercise Science Research Topics

The field of exercise science is rapidly growing as new technologies like computer visualization and biotracking deepen our understanding of human physiology. New technologies allow us to better prevent injuries, allowing athletes to push their limits beyond what we thought possible. Thanks to this, there is no shortage of exercise science research topics to write about.

In this article, we’ll show you 10 great examples of exercise science research topics. If you are pursuing a degree in this field, you’ll learn better ways of finding good exercise science research paper topics and how to develop stronger exercise science research questions for your projects.

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What makes a strong exercise science research topic.

Strong exercise science research topics are timely and relevant. Leading researchers and sports institutions should still be discussing them at the time you are writing your research paper. The Strength and Conditioning Journal is a great place to find some of the latest activity research topics including articles on different health benefits, health issues, preventive interventions, and rehabilitation after injury.

Your topic should be broad enough to find enough strong sources, but narrow enough to stand out. Controversial topics are acceptable if you have enough evidence to back up your research. If it’s your first paper, consider approaching a less complex topic. You can also ask your teacher for suggestions if you are struggling to find strong university-level topics. Remember to follow the guidelines for choosing a topic set by your institution.

Tips for Choosing an Exercise Science Research Topic

Choose a topic that intrigues you. A personally interesting topic will motivate you during the research process. If you have a personal connection to what you are researching, you will have a much easier time writing about it.
Narrow your topic. By picking a specific subject, you will have an easier time finding credible sources to support your research. By reducing the number of books and articles to read and only choosing literature that is immediately relevant to your topic idea, you also won’t have to spend as much effort before starting to write.
Talk to your teacher or academic advisor. Your teachers are great resources you have at your disposal. They have experience choosing topics for college students and will most likely be able to help you pick a topic you’ll find engaging to research.
Look through journals to find exciting topics. Review topics published in the journals like the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. These research journals publish the latest fitness research papers and can help you find a topic that interests you.
Consider the research interests of your teacher. It’ll be convenient if your research topic matches their expertise, as they’ll be able to provide you with better feedback during your research process.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

A research topic is a specific area of study. Sprains in adult athletes or rehabilitation for brain injuries, for example, are research topics. A research question is a way to add new knowledge to that area of study. Examples of research questions would be “What is the role of nutrition in the recovery of sprains in athletes?” or “What is the effect of cardio exercises on adults with brain injuries?”

The goal of your research should be focused around answering the research question. Your answer will help you and others to understand the topic better. Research questions tend to be more specific than the research topics in exercise science.

How to Create Strong Exercise Science Research Questions

To create strong exercise science research questions, you should first become familiar with the topic the question concerns. The answer to your research question should be supported by previous studies done on the topic. Reading previously published studies will help you learn more while preventing you from doing any redundant research.

The scientific method helps exercise scientists better understand their field. Your question should start with how, why, when, or what questions. The scope of your question must be manageable in relation to how long you have to answer it.

Questions that require in-depth experiments may be beyond your reach if you only have a week. Before choosing the question that will lead your research, consider the time it will take you to answer it.

2. Determining the Minimal Amount of Physical Exercise Required to Maintain Strength and Stamina

Long periods of physical inactivity harm physical fitness. Scientists want to know how much physical exercise can prevent the loss of muscle strength. The British Journal of Sports Medicine published an article that took an in-depth look into the negative effects of sedentary behavior . There are plenty of physiology research topics about improving daily life with an active lifestyle.

3. Effect of a Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Body Mass on Olympic Weightlifting Athletes

Exercise scientists have realized the impact of nutrition on endurance, body composition, and recovery. This has led to theories being tested of controversial ideas in nutrition and measuring their effects on muscle strength.

For example, a study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research shows that ketogenic diets reduce mass without compromising performance . If you are interested in becoming a nutritionist , researching the role of nutrition in relation to physical activity could be beneficial for your future career.

4. The Effect of Exercise on the Gut Microbiome

The role of exercise on the gut microbiome is an exciting topic in exercise science. In 2019, researchers found some proof that regular exercise increased gut bacteria and contributed to the health of the gut microbiome, as mentioned in a study that was published in Exercises and Sport Science Reviews.

The gut microbiome produces a wide range of biomolecules, including neurotransmitters, that regulate mood and anxiety. Researchers believe that healthy gut bacteria can improve our mental fitness and health. Their research also leads them to believe that gut bacteria can improve the body’s ability to fight inflammatory illnesses and certain types of cancer.

5. Wearable Technology for Health Monitoring and Sport Performance

Smartwatches pack sensors that can track your movement patterns, heart rate, and oxygen levels. In recent years, these bio trackers have become increasingly affordable and easy to use. Researchers at the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan have used these sensors to track elderly patients and alert their caregivers in real-time.

In sports, kinesiologists use this technology to measure aerobic speed and the onset of fatigue. With a degree in kinesiology , you can work with elite athletes and improve their athletic performance using these technologies.

6. Optimizing Human Movement Potential for Elite Athletes

Exercise scientists study the biomechanics of human movement to improve the body’s longevity. Understanding the human body allows researchers to develop primary injury prevention methods.

Personal trainers help athletes achieve extraordinary performance without the risk of musculoskeletal injury. If you want to become a certified personal trainer , physiology research paper topics in relation to this topic may be of interest to you.

7. Equity in Sports

Exercise scientists are also concerned with the social aspects of sports. Many athletes live under adverse conditions and need to make extra efforts to match the achievements of others. Equity in sports is currently a very important exercise science topic. Researchers find solutions to increase access to professional sports by improving policies to prevent racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.

If you want to become a sports agent or an athletic director, look for physiology research topics in relation to equity in sports. Becoming a sports manager takes a certain level of education in the professional fitness industry, such as a graduate degree in sports management .

8. Effect of Bike Commuting on Insulin Sensitivity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Adipose Tissue

Exercise scientists look for solutions to public health problems like diabetes and obesity. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that commuting by bike has a significant impact on insulin sensitivity , improving cardiovascular fitness, and reducing belly fat.

With cardiometabolic health such as cardiovascular disease, being an urgent topic in the United States, considering the prevalence of obesity, there is plenty of research on the subject, making it a great initial topic.

9. Reducing Lower Back Pain by Increasing Physical Activity

With athletes having a high sports injury risk, and many injuries causing severe back pain, pain management has become an important topic in exercise science. Exercise scientists research ways to reduce pain using principles in kinesiology and found that increasing physical activity can reduce lower back pain , according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

10. Applications of Kinesiology in the Treatment of Movement Dysfunctions

Exercise scientists have been studying the relationship between movement and neuroplasticity for a long time. Physical activity during rehabilitation for stroke patients or patients with brain injuries has proven to reduce movement dysfunctions. Understanding the effects of exercise on neural networks is an important research topic in the field of rehabilitation.

Exercise Science Research Questions

What are the benefits of physical activity for cognitive health?
What is the impact of VR training on human body composition testing?
What are the advantages of wearing an elevation training mask during physical exercise?
What are the physiological causes of mental fatigue on endurance performance?
How does physical exercise improves mental health and academic performance in university students?

Choosing the Right Exercise Science Research Topic

When choosing the right exercise science research topic, consider researching topics that you are already familiar with, as your existing knowledge may help you with your research. You could also ask your academic advisor, other staff in the department of exercise science, or even physical therapy professionals about current trends in exercise science and injury recovery.

Physical fitness and training performance are common themes in exercise science research. Recent articles published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine or the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research are a great place to start. Make sure you choose a manageable research topic. Your teacher can help you make sure your research topic is relevant before you begin.

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Exercise Science Research Topics FAQ

Exercise science is important because it tries to find solutions to problems concerning the optimal performance of athletes and the general health of the human population. Exercise science also helps develop new rehabilitation methods for injury recovery and pain management.

Yes, kinesiology is a STEM discipline that studies exercise and movement. Breakthroughs in kinesiology come from scientific research and the use of the scientific method. It is a wing of the department of exercise science of many universities.

The average salary of an exercise physiologist is $50,280 per year, which is above the national average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About half of all exercise physiologists are self-employed, while others work in hospitals, spas, and physical therapy offices.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science, you can get a job as a physical therapist or a fitness instructor. With a graduate degree in exercise science, you can become a sports agent or an athletic director.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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7 Kinesiology Research Topics for a Dissertation

Kinesiology, the scientific study of human movement and physical performance, offers a broad array of research topics for dissertations. The field is evolving rapidly, with new findings and developments in exercise science, making it a rich ground for scholarly exploration. In this article, we’ll explore seven emerging kinesiology research topics, discuss how to formulate a dissertation topic, and outline what makes for a successful dissertation or research paper.

Research Topics for Kinesiology PhD Students

In a PhD program, students are expected to craft a unique dissertation that contributes to the field’s body of knowledge. Below are some detailed research topics for kinesiology PhD students, starting with biomechanics of injury prevention in sports.

1. Biomechanics of Injury Prevention in Sports

Injury prevention is a critical area in kinesiology. With the rise of high-intensity sports and physical exercise training programs, understanding the biomechanics behind injuries is crucial. Research can focus on identifying risk factors, developing new techniques or equipment to reduce injuries, or analyzing movement patterns that predispose athletes to specific injuries.

Formulation Tip: Narrow your focus to a particular sport or type of injury. For instance, “Biomechanical Analysis of ACL Injury Prevention in Female Soccer Players.”

2. Neuromuscular Adaptations to Strength Training

Neuromuscular adaptations are essential for improving athletic performance. This topic investigates how muscles and nerves adapt to different training regimens. Research can explore the differences in adaptations based on age, gender, or the type of strength and resistance training performed.

Formulation Tip: Consider a specific population or training method. For example, “Neuromuscular Adaptations in Elderly Adults Engaged in High-Intensity Interval Training.”

3. The Impact of Wearable Technology on Physical Activity and Health

Wearable technology, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, has become ubiquitous in sport science. Research in this area can assess the accuracy of these devices, their impact on physical activity levels, and their potential to improve health outcomes.

Formulation Tip: Focus on a particular demographic or health outcome. For instance, “The Effectiveness of Wearable Fitness Trackers in Promoting Physical Activity Among Sedentary Office Workers.”

4. Psychological Factors in Athletic Performance

Exercise psychology plays a significant role in athletic performance. This research topic can delve into how mental health factors such as motivation, stress, and anxiety influence performance. It can also explore psychological interventions to enhance performance.

Formulation Tip: Choose a specific psychological factor and sport. For example, “The Role of Mental Toughness in Endurance Sports Performance.”

5. Exercise Physiology and Chronic Disease Management

Exercise physiology’s role in managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity is a growing research area. Studies can take an in-depth look at how different types of exercise affect disease progression and management.

Formulation Tip: Target a specific chronic disease and exercise type. For instance, “The Impact of Aerobic Exercise on Blood Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.”

6. Gender Differences in Sports Performance

Gender differences in sports performance remain a contentious and highly researched topic. This area can explore physiological, biomechanical, and psychological differences between male and female athletes and how these differences influence training and performance.

Formulation Tip: Focus on a specific aspect of performance. For example, “Gender Differences in Recovery Rates Following High-Intensity Interval Training.”

7. The Role of Nutrition in Athletic Performance

Nutrition is fundamental to athletic performance. Research can investigate the effects and health benefits of various diets, sports supplements, and hydration strategies on performance and recovery. This area is particularly relevant given the proliferation of new dietary trends and supplements.

Formulation Tip: Focus on a specific nutrient or dietary approach. For instance, “The Effects of Ketogenic Diet on Endurance Performance in Long-Distance Runners.”

Formulating Your Dissertation Topic

When formulating your dissertation topic, consider the following steps during the research process:

Identify Your Research Interests: Choose a topic that genuinely interests you, as you will be dedicating a significant amount of time and effort to this research.
Conduct an Existing Literature Review: This helps you understand the current state of research and identify gaps that your dissertation can fill.
Define Your Research Question: Your research question should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
Consult with Advisors: Seek input from your academic advisors and mentors to refine your potential kinesiology research paper topics to ensure their feasibility.
Consider the Scope: Ensure that your topic is neither too broad nor too narrow. It should be manageable within the time frame and resources available.

What Makes for a Successful Dissertation?

A successful dissertation in kinesiology should possess the following qualities:

Originality: Your research should contribute new knowledge or insights to the field.
Relevance: The topic should address a significant issue or gap in current research.
Methodological Rigor: Use appropriate and robust research methods to ensure the validity and reliability of your findings.
Clarity: Your writing should be clear, concise, and well-organized. Each section should logically flow into the next.
Comprehensive Literature Review: Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the existing research and how your work fits into the broader context.
Strong Data Analysis: Employ rigorous data analysis techniques and clearly present your findings.
Implications and Recommendations: Discuss the implications of your findings for practice, policy, and future research. Provide practical recommendations based on your results.

Contribute to the Field with CSP Global’s Kinesiology Program

Choosing a dissertation topic in kinesiology can be challenging but immensely rewarding. By focusing on emerging and relevant research areas, you can contribute valuable insights to the field. Whether it’s the biomechanics of injury prevention or the psychological factors influencing athletic performance, your research can have a significant impact. Remember to formulate your topic carefully, ensure methodological rigor, and contribute original knowledge to make your dissertation a success.

CSP Global offers 100% online doctoral programs in kinesiology. Earn your PhD or EdD in our student-centered online programs. CSP Global’s kinesiology doctoral programs are taught by world-class instructors and provide students with opportunities to gain real-world experience in the field of health sciences. Students can expect to learn deep research methods, complete a research dissertation, and graduate ready to advance their careers in kinesiology.

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A century of exercise physiology: key concepts in …

Published: 17 December 2021
Volume 122 , pages 1–4, ( 2022 )

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Michael I. Lindinger ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1001-4302 1 &
Susan A. Ward 2

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The Editorial Board of the European Journal of Applied Physiology has endorsed a topical series in the theme “A Century of Exercise Physiology”. History tells us that the importance of exercise in healthful living goes back to antiquity: Susruta (ca. 600 B.C.) in India, Hippocrates (460–370 B.C.) in Greece and Galen (129–210 A.D.) in Rome (Berryman 2010 ; Shephard 2013 ; Tipton 2014 ). The Eighteenth Century saw exercise being promoted as a medical intervention, as exemplified by the London physician Francis Fuller who in 1705 published “Medicina Gymnastica or A Treatise Concerning the Power of Exercise, with Respect to the Animal Oeconomy; and the Great Necessity of it in the Cure of Several Distempers”(Fuller 1705 ). However these recognitions of the importance and power of exercise do not mean that the physiological concepts underpinning present-day understanding of exercise were understood at that time, or even recognized. It was only during the past 300 years that important advances in understanding were made using the scientific methods of experimentation, observation, careful recording of data, logical interpretation and inference, and the publication of results. These practices facilitated, if not dictated, the development of new theories and concepts in exercise physiology.

The idea for this series comes from groupings of seminal research papers published in the first three decades of the Twentieth Century that established the foundations of modern exercise physiology. On reviewing a hundred or so of these papers, several notable features arise. First, exercise physiology was a hot research topic then, and it has continued to be. Second, many of the key journals publishing the work of these pioneering exercise physiologists have consistently published in this area for more than a century, such as: American Journal of Physiology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Physiology, Plügers Archiv (later becoming European Journal of Physiology) and Skandinavisches Archiv für Physiologie (later becoming Acta Physiologica Scandinavica and then Acta Physiologica). The European Journal of Applied Physiology came into being on Feb. 1, 1928 as Arbeitsphysiologie, with the first volume comprising five papers focusing on exercise and occupational physiology.

Third, many of the experiments performed by these early researchers were creatively and rigorously designed and executed, with these designs laying a foundation for work that followed. Fourth, a number of conclusions of these studies have been supported over the passage of time. Noteworthy too, however, is that some of the unsupported conclusions are still accepted as ‘true’ by many in the exercise and sports physiology domain, of which perhaps one of the more striking examples is the assertion that “lactic acid causes fatigue” in human subjects performing exercise (Jervell 1928 ). And fifth, a number of conclusions of these studies have NOT been supported with the passage of time.

The choice of the initial three decades of the Twentieth Century as the period within which to anchor the ‘key concepts in exercise physiology’ series is not arbitrary. This is a period of time that allowed for the flourishing of many disciplines of science, human physiology included. And perhaps especially human physiology, given the demands of warfare and the necessary sequelae of medical treatment and therapies aimed at functional recovery, such as Pilates (summarized later by Pilates 1945 ). Influential publications accrued from key pioneers in the discipline of exercise physiology, with August Krogh and Archibald Vivian Hill each being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (in 1920 and 1922, respectively). One can point to:

1) John Scott Haldane and Claude Gordon Douglas (Oxford University) who had a productive collaboration in the early Twentieth Century that focused on ventilatory control and pulmonary gas exchange. For example, they concluded in 1909 that the hyperpnea during moderate exercise was mediated by a rise in PCO 2 in the respiratory centers (Haldane and Priestley 1905 ), also suggesting that it was slow in onset (Douglas and Haldane 1909 ). Douglas would later report a close association between ventilation and CO 2 output during exercise (Douglas 1927 ), which is now one of the accepted tenets of exercise physiology.

2) Almost contemporaneously, August Krogh and Johannes Lindhard (University of Copenhagen) would present results at odds with those of the Oxford investigators, documenting an immediate hyperpnea at exercise onset which they ascribed to cortical irradiation, a precursor of what is now known as central command (Krogh and Lindhard 1913a ). They were also at odds with regard to whether the physiological dead space increased during exercise (Douglas and Haldane 1912 ) or remained unchanged (Krogh and Lindhard 1913b ); it is now widely recognized to increase, but less so than tidal volume such that the dead space to tidal volume ratio decreases. But it is Krogh’s work on the role of muscle capillary recruitment during exercise in supporting tissue oxygen delivery that is most noteworthy and for which he was awarded his Nobel Prize (Krogh 1919a , b , c ).

3) In 1923, David Barr and Harold Himwich (Cornell University) provided the first comprehensive description of arterial and venous blood acid–base status during moderate and high-intensity exercise in the Journal of Biological Chemistry “Studies in the physiology of muscular exercise” series (Barr et al. 1923 ; Barr and Himwich 1923a , b ; Barr 1923 ; Himwich and Barr 1923 ). This was timely, given the limitations of using alveolar gas to infer arterial blood PCO 2 in the earlier Oxford and Copenhagen investigations.

4) It was also in the 1910s and 1920s that the analysis of heat production in isolated frog muscle by Archibald Vivian Hill (University College London) pioneered muscle metabolic mechanisms and muscle mechanics, thus opening the way to research investigating effects in different types of muscle fibers. Hill’s work, together with the biochemical analyses of his Nobel co-Laureate Otto Meyerhof, led to the recognition of distinct aerobic and anaerobic metabolic mechanisms in exercising muscle (Hill and Meyerhof 1923 ). These principles were applied to exercising humans, leading to the concepts of a maximum O 2 uptake and an oxygen debt comprising a fast component reflecting intramuscular oxidative conversion of lactate to glycogen and a slower component reflecting delayed oxidation of lactate that had diffused out of the exercised muscle (Hill and Lupton 1923 ).

And 5) In 1927 Harvard University’s Harvard Fatigue Laboratory was established with Lawrence J Henderson as its titular Head but under the scientific leadership of D. Bruce Dill. Over the next two decades, the Laboratory would prove to an influential international force in many areas of exercise physiology (Tipton and Folk 2014 ). Dill’s work over five decades set a standard for integrative investigation that began with the impressive series “Studies in muscular activity” (Bock et al. 1928a , b , c , 1932 ; Talbott et al. 1928 ; Dill and Fölling 1928 ; Dill et al. 1930 ) covering areas such as cardiorespiratory physiology, pulmonary gas exchange and metabolism. Of particular significance at the start of the 1930s was the revisionist evaluation of the Hill-Meyerhof concept by Margaria, Edwards and Dill (Margaria et al. 1933 ): the fast (alactic) component being ascribed to phosphocreatine resynthesis and therefore independent of lactate oxidation.

There are numerous other contributions dating from this period, deserving of mention being those of Francis Benedict and Edward Cathcart (Benedict and Cathcart 1913 ), Francis Bainbridge (Bainbridge 1919 ), Joseph Barcroft (Barcroft 1934 ) and Yandell Henderson (Henderson 1923 ).

The collective body of work of these investigators fueled the legitimizing of exercise physiology, both basic and applied, as an important area of research and study in its own right. But it would not be until the 1960s—nearly 40 years after the founding of the Harvard Fatigue Laboratory—that the first academic departments of exercise physiology would come into existence, exercise physiology previously having been largely subsumed within physical education departments. As a result, we are now in an era where the importance of exercise physiology in athletic achievement, physical and mental training, wellness and healthy living, injury recovery and post-trauma recovery therapies is to all intents universally recognized. Regular exercise is foundational to human health, both mental and physical (Booth et al. 2000 ).

In the present Century of Exercise Physiology Series the authors have set out to re-examine foundational research papers published between 1909 and 1930 and take the reader on a tour through the historical development of mechanisms contributing to our current understanding of exercise physiology. Each review highlights conclusions that have been supported and those that have not been supported over the passage of time. The key research driving increased understanding of function is highlighted, decade by decade, to build the story of our current understanding. And yes, there remain critical knowledge gaps and areas of controversy that underpin research efforts in hundreds of exercise physiology labs around the world. The papers in the series are not a historical step-by-step review of the literature. The focus is on the key concepts, and how these are linked together to bring us to our current state-of-the-science. The focus is on physiological mechanisms, not history.

In this issue of the Journal we present the first paper in the Century of Exercise Physiology Series. David Poole has taken on the task of developing our understanding of muscle oxygenation (Poole et al. 2021 ). The following issues will contain one or two reviews written by senior researchers whose work has spanned a significant portion of the past century. These are people who, through their published work, have embraced the historical foundations of their research area to guide their research progress.

As the series unfolds you may find that there are gaps. We therefore also invite you, the reader, to consider contributing to this series.

Mike Lindinger

EJAP Reviews Editor

Former EJAP Editor-in-Chief (2007–2012)

Human Bio-Energetics Research Centre, Crickhowell, Wales, NP8 1AT.

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Lindinger, M.I., Ward, S.A. A century of exercise physiology: key concepts in …. Eur J Appl Physiol 122 , 1–4 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04873-4

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Issue Date : January 2022

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04873-4

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Exercise Physiology Research Paper Topics

This page presents a comprehensive list of exercise physiology research paper topics , organized into ten categories with ten topics in each. Students studying health sciences can find inspiration and relevant ideas for their research papers in the dynamic field of exercise physiology. Expert advice is provided on choosing suitable topics, and guidance is given on the process of writing an exercise physiology research paper. iResearchNet offers specialized writing services, featuring expert degree-holding writers, custom formatting, in-depth research, top quality, and timely delivery. Students can enjoy flexible pricing options, short deadlines, 24/7 support, absolute privacy, easy order tracking, and a money-back guarantee. Discover the world of exercise physiology research paper topics and unlock the potential of your academic journey.

100 Exercise Physiology Research Paper Topics

The field of exercise physiology offers a vast array of research opportunities for students studying health sciences. To assist you in your research endeavors, we present a comprehensive list of exercise physiology research paper topics. Divided into ten categories, each containing ten topics, this list encompasses a wide range of subjects within the realm of exercise physiology. Whether you are interested in cardiovascular health, musculoskeletal adaptations, metabolism, neurophysiology, aging, performance enhancement, immunology, exercise prescription, mental health, or methodological advancements, you will find inspiration and relevant ideas to shape your research paper. Explore these cutting-edge exercise physiology research paper topics and unlock the potential for impactful discoveries and contributions to the field.

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1. Exercise and Cardiorespiratory Health

The impact of high-intensity interval training on aerobic capacity
Exercise-induced changes in cardiac function and structure
The effects of different exercise modalities on cardiovascular health in diverse populations
Exercise prescription for individuals with cardiovascular diseases
Exercise interventions to improve respiratory function in individuals with chronic lung diseases
The role of exercise in the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome
Cardiorespiratory adaptations to altitude training and their implications for performance
The effects of endurance exercise on mitochondrial biogenesis and function
Exercise and cardiac rehabilitation for patients with heart failure
Exercise interventions for optimizing cardiovascular health in older adults

2. Exercise and Musculoskeletal Health

The effects of resistance training on muscle hypertrophy and strength gains
Exercise-induced adaptations in bone density and mineral content
Exercise interventions for preventing and managing osteoporosis
The impact of exercise on muscle fiber type composition and contractile properties
Exercise strategies for optimizing postural stability and reducing fall risks in older adults
Exercise and its influence on tendon and ligament adaptations
The effects of exercise on muscle protein synthesis and breakdown
Exercise interventions for enhancing muscle function and preventing sarcopenia
Exercise and its role in the prevention and management of musculoskeletal injuries
The impact of different training modalities on neuromuscular adaptations

3. Exercise and Metabolism

The influence of exercise on insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation
Exercise interventions for weight loss and metabolic syndrome management
The effects of exercise on lipid metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors
Exercise and its impact on appetite regulation and energy balance
Exercise and the modulation of brown adipose tissue activity and thermogenesis
The role of exercise in improving metabolic health in individuals with diabetes
Exercise and its effects on mitochondrial function and oxidative stress
The influence of exercise on gut microbiota composition and metabolic health
Exercise interventions for optimizing metabolic flexibility and substrate utilization
The impact of exercise on hormonal regulation and metabolic adaptations

4. Exercise and Neurophysiology

Exercise-induced neuroplasticity and its implications for cognitive function
The effects of acute and chronic exercise on brain structure and function
Exercise interventions for managing and preventing neurodegenerative diseases
The influence of exercise on neurotrophic factors and neuroprotection
Exercise and its impact on mood, stress, and mental well-being
The role of exercise in enhancing cognitive performance and academic achievement
The effects of exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression
Exercise as a therapeutic approach for individuals with neurological disorders
Exercise and its influence on sleep quality and sleep-related disorders
The effects of exercise on neuroinflammation and neuroimmune responses

5. Exercise and Aging

Exercise interventions for promoting healthy aging and longevity
The impact of exercise on age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and functional decline
Exercise and its effects on cognitive function and age-related cognitive decline
The role of exercise in the prevention and management of age-related chronic diseases
Exercise and its influence on cellular senescence and aging biomarkers
Exercise interventions for enhancing physical function and independence in older adults
The effects of exercise on telomere length and cellular aging
Exercise and its impact on immune function and inflammaging
Exercise strategies for improving balance and reducing fall risks in older adults
The influence of exercise on psychological well-being and quality of life in aging populations

6. Exercise and Performance Enhancement

Ergogenic aids in sports performance and their physiological effects
Exercise strategies for optimizing endurance performance
The effects of resistance training on strength and power gains
Exercise-induced changes in muscle architecture and performance
Exercise interventions for improving speed, agility, and quickness
The impact of tapering and peaking strategies on performance
Exercise and its effects on fatigue resistance and recovery
The role of nutrition and hydration in exercise performance
The influence of psychological factors on athletic performance
Exercise and its impact on decision-making and tactical skills in sports

7. Exercise and Immunology

The effects of acute and chronic exercise on immune function and susceptibility to infections
Exercise-induced changes in inflammatory markers and immune response
Exercise as a therapeutic tool in autoimmune diseases
The influence of exercise on vaccine response and immunosenescence
Exercise and its impact on natural killer cell activity and cancer immunosurveillance
The effects of exercise on upper respiratory tract infections in athletes
Exercise interventions for managing chronic inflammation and immune-related disorders
The role of exercise in modulating allergic and hypersensitivity reactions
Exercise and its influence on gut microbiota-immune interactions
Exercise and its effects on stress-related immunosuppression and immune recovery

8. Exercise Prescription and Programming

Individualized exercise prescription for diverse populations
Periodization and its role in optimizing training adaptations
Strategies for promoting adherence to exercise programs
The influence of exercise intensity and volume on training outcomes
The effects of different exercise modalities on specific fitness components
The role of recovery and rest periods in exercise programming
Exercise and its impact on genetic and epigenetic adaptations
The influence of exercise frequency and duration on health and performance
Exercise interventions for specific population groups (e.g., children, pregnant women, older adults)
The integration of technology in exercise prescription and monitoring

9. Exercise and Mental Health

The effects of exercise on mood, anxiety, and depression
Exercise interventions for managing stress and improving psychological well-being
Exercise and its role in preventing and treating mental health disorders
The influence of exercise on cognitive function and mental performance
Exercise and its impact on self-esteem and body image
The effects of exercise on sleep quality and mental restorativeness
Exercise interventions for enhancing resilience and stress coping mechanisms
The role of exercise in promoting social connectedness and community engagement
Exercise and its effects on neurobiological mechanisms underlying mental health
Exercise and mindfulness-based approaches in mental health promotion

10. Methodological Advances in Exercise Physiology Research

Utilizing wearable technology in monitoring exercise and physiological responses
Novel methodologies for assessing muscle function and performance
Integrating omics approaches (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics) in exercise physiology research
The application of bioinformatics in exercise science and data analysis
Advanced imaging techniques for studying musculoskeletal adaptations to exercise
Non-invasive assessment of cardiac function during exercise
The use of neuroimaging methods to investigate brain changes induced by exercise
In vitro and in vivo models for studying exercise-induced physiological adaptations
Innovative approaches for studying the microbiome and exercise-related effects
The role of virtual reality and simulation in exercise physiology research

This comprehensive list of exercise physiology research paper topics provides students with a diverse range of options to explore within the field. These topics cover various aspects of exercise physiology, including cardiovascular health, musculoskeletal health, metabolism, neurophysiology, aging, performance enhancement, immunology, exercise prescription, mental health, and methodological advancements. Select a topic that aligns with your interests and research goals to embark on a rewarding academic journey in exercise physiology research.

Choosing Exercise Physiology Research Paper Topics

Choosing the right exercise physiology research paper topic is crucial to the success and impact of your study. To assist you in this important decision-making process, we provide expert advice on how to select exercise physiology research paper topics that are engaging, relevant, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of exercise science. Consider the following ten tips to guide you in choosing a topic that aligns with your interests and academic goals:

Identify your passion and interests : Begin by reflecting on your personal interests within the field of exercise physiology. Are you intrigued by topics related to cardiovascular health, performance enhancement, or aging? Identifying your passion will not only make the research process more enjoyable, but it will also motivate you to delve deeper into the subject matter.
Review current literature : Familiarize yourself with the existing body of literature in exercise physiology. Conduct a thorough review of recent research articles, textbooks, and scientific journals to identify gaps, emerging trends, and unanswered research questions. This will help you identify areas where your study can make a meaningful contribution.
Consult with faculty and experts : Seek guidance from your faculty members and established experts in exercise physiology. Engage in discussions with them to gain insights into current research priorities, ongoing studies, and potential research gaps. Their expertise and mentorship can be invaluable in selecting a topic that aligns with the latest advancements in the field.
Consider the practical implications : Choose a research topic that has practical implications for individuals, athletes, or specific populations. Consider how your findings could influence exercise prescription, training strategies, or interventions for enhancing health, performance, or well-being. Topics with real-world applications are often highly valuable and impactful.
Identify research gaps : Look for areas within exercise physiology that have limited research or conflicting findings. Identifying gaps in current knowledge will enable you to propose innovative research questions and hypotheses. By addressing these gaps, you contribute to the field by advancing understanding and generating new insights.
Explore interdisciplinary connections : Exercise physiology is a multidisciplinary field that intersects with various other disciplines such as nutrition, psychology, biomechanics, and genetics. Consider exploring topics that bridge the gap between exercise physiology and these related disciplines. Interdisciplinary research can provide unique perspectives and opportunities for groundbreaking discoveries.
Consider available resources : Evaluate the availability of resources, facilities, and equipment necessary to conduct your study. Determine whether you have access to the appropriate laboratory or clinical settings, research participants, or specialized equipment. Selecting a topic that aligns with the available resources will ensure the feasibility and success of your research.
Discuss potential research methodologies : Consider the research methodologies and techniques commonly used in exercise physiology studies. Reflect on your own skill set and knowledge base to determine which methodologies you are comfortable with or interested in learning. Choosing a topic that aligns with your preferred research approach will enhance the quality and depth of your study.
Engage in pilot studies or preliminary research : Conducting pilot studies or preliminary research on potential topics can provide valuable insights and help you refine your research questions. This preliminary exploration can inform the feasibility and relevance of your chosen topic, allowing you to make necessary adjustments before diving into a full-scale research project.
Seek ethical approval and consider participant safety : Ensure that your chosen topic aligns with ethical guidelines and safeguards the rights and well-being of research participants. Exercise physiology studies often involve human subjects, so it is important to consider the potential risks and benefits associated with your research. Seek ethical approval from the appropriate research ethics board or committee to ensure compliance with ethical standards.

In conclusion, selecting an exercise physiology research paper topic requires thoughtful consideration and careful planning. By identifying your passions, reviewing current literature, consulting with experts, considering practical implications, identifying research gaps, exploring interdisciplinary connections, evaluating available resources, discussing potential methodologies, engaging in pilot studies, and ensuring ethical considerations, you can choose a topic that not only interests you but also contributes to the scientific understanding of exercise physiology. Your chosen topic sets the foundation for a successful and impactful research study.

How to Write an Exercise Physiology Research Paper

Writing an exercise physiology research paper requires a systematic approach to effectively communicate your findings and contribute to the field of exercise science. From formulating research questions to interpreting results, each step in the process plays a crucial role in producing a well-structured and impactful paper. In this section, we provide you with ten valuable tips on how to write an exercise physiology research paper that is concise, clear, and scientifically sound.

Understand the structure : Familiarize yourself with the typical structure of a research paper in exercise physiology. This includes the introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections. Each section serves a specific purpose and contributes to the overall coherence and clarity of your paper.
Conduct a thorough literature review : Before diving into your own research, conduct a comprehensive literature review to understand the existing knowledge and gaps in the field of exercise physiology. This will help you position your research within the context of previous studies and identify the unique contributions of your work.
Formulate research questions : Clearly define your research questions based on the gaps identified in the literature. Your research questions should be specific, measurable, and aligned with the objectives of your study. They will guide your data collection and analysis.
Collect and analyze data : Utilize appropriate data collection methods and ensure the quality and reliability of your data. Employ rigorous statistical analysis techniques to draw meaningful conclusions from your data. Adhere to best practices in data handling and analysis to ensure the validity of your findings.
Interpret results objectively : Present your results in a clear and concise manner, using appropriate tables, graphs, or charts. Interpret your findings objectively and avoid overgeneralization or speculation. Discuss any limitations of your study that may have influenced the results.
Write a compelling introduction : Craft an engaging introduction that provides a concise overview of the research problem, rationale, and objectives. Clearly state the significance of your research and how it addresses existing gaps in knowledge. Hook your readers by highlighting the relevance of your study to exercise physiology and its potential implications for practice or further research.
Describe methods accurately : Provide a detailed description of your study design, participants, data collection procedures, and statistical analysis methods. Include information on sample size, recruitment strategies, ethical considerations, and any adjustments made for confounding variables. This transparency ensures reproducibility and allows readers to assess the validity of your study.
Present results effectively : Organize your results section logically, presenting the key findings in a structured manner. Use clear and concise language to describe statistical analyses, effect sizes, and p-values. Supplement your text with visual aids such as tables or figures to enhance the understanding of your results.
Engage in critical discussion : Interpret your results in the context of existing literature and discuss their implications for exercise physiology. Analyze any unexpected or contradictory findings and propose potential explanations. Address the strengths and limitations of your study and suggest avenues for future research.
Conclude with impact : Craft a strong conclusion that summarizes the key findings and their significance. Emphasize the contributions of your research to the field of exercise physiology and its potential implications for exercise prescription, performance enhancement, or health promotion. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and reiterate the main takeaways of your study.

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Research article
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Published: 16 November 2020

Exercise/physical activity and health outcomes: an overview of Cochrane systematic reviews

Pawel Posadzki 1 , 2 ,
Dawid Pieper ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0715-5182 3 ,
Ram Bajpai 4 ,
Hubert Makaruk 5 ,
Nadja Könsgen 3 ,
Annika Lena Neuhaus 3 &
Monika Semwal 6

BMC Public Health volume 20 , Article number: 1724 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. It has been estimated that approximately 3.2 million deaths each year are attributable to insufficient levels of physical activity. We evaluated the available evidence from Cochrane systematic reviews (CSRs) on the effectiveness of exercise/physical activity for various health outcomes.

Overview and meta-analysis. The Cochrane Library was searched from 01.01.2000 to issue 1, 2019. No language restrictions were imposed. Only CSRs of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Both healthy individuals, those at risk of a disease, and medically compromised patients of any age and gender were eligible. We evaluated any type of exercise or physical activity interventions; against any types of controls; and measuring any type of health-related outcome measures. The AMSTAR-2 tool for assessing the methodological quality of the included studies was utilised.

Hundred and fifty CSRs met the inclusion criteria. There were 54 different conditions. Majority of CSRs were of high methodological quality. Hundred and thirty CSRs employed meta-analytic techniques and 20 did not. Limitations for studies were the most common reasons for downgrading the quality of the evidence. Based on 10 CSRs and 187 RCTs with 27,671 participants, there was a 13% reduction in mortality rates risk ratio (RR) 0.87 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.78 to 0.96]; I 2 = 26.6%, [prediction interval (PI) 0.70, 1.07], median effect size (MES) = 0.93 [interquartile range (IQR) 0.81, 1.00]. Data from 15 CSRs and 408 RCTs with 32,984 participants showed a small improvement in quality of life (QOL) standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.18 [95% CI 0.08, 0.28]; I 2 = 74.3%; PI -0.18, 0.53], MES = 0.20 [IQR 0.07, 0.39]. Subgroup analyses by the type of condition showed that the magnitude of effect size was the largest among patients with mental health conditions.

There is a plethora of CSRs evaluating the effectiveness of physical activity/exercise. The evidence suggests that physical activity/exercise reduces mortality rates and improves QOL with minimal or no safety concerns.

Trial registration

Registered in PROSPERO ( CRD42019120295 ) on 10th January 2019.

Peer Review reports

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines physical activity “as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure” [ 1 ]. Therefore, physical activity is not only limited to sports but also includes walking, running, swimming, gymnastics, dance, ball games, and martial arts, for example. In the last years, several organizations have published or updated their guidelines on physical activity. For example, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, provides information and guidance on the types and amounts of physical activity that provide substantial health benefits [ 2 ]. The evidence about the health benefits of regular physical activity is well established and so are the risks of sedentary behaviour [ 2 ]. Exercise is dose dependent, meaning that people who achieve cumulative levels several times higher than the current recommended minimum level have a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and ischemic stroke events [ 3 ]. Benefits of physical activity have been reported for numerous outcomes such as mortality [ 4 , 5 ], cognitive and physical decline [ 5 , 6 , 7 ], glycaemic control [ 8 , 9 ], pain and disability [ 10 , 11 ], muscle and bone strength [ 12 ], depressive symptoms [ 13 ], and functional mobility and well-being [ 14 , 15 ]. Overall benefits of exercise apply to all bodily systems including immunological [ 16 ], musculoskeletal [ 17 ], respiratory [ 18 ], and hormonal [ 19 ]. Specifically for the cardiovascular system, exercise increases fatty acid oxidation, cardiac output, vascular smooth muscle relaxation, endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide availability, improves plasma lipid profiles [ 15 ] while at the same time reducing resting heart rate and blood pressure, aortic valve calcification, and vascular resistance [ 20 ].

However, the degree of all the above-highlighted benefits vary considerably depending on individual fitness levels, types of populations, age groups and the intensity of different physical activities/exercises [ 21 ]. The majority of guidelines in different countries recommend a goal of 150 min/week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (or equivalent of 75 min of vigorous-intensity) [ 22 ] with differences for cardiovascular disease [ 23 ] or obesity prevention [ 24 ] or age groups [ 25 ].

There is a plethora of systematic reviews published by the Cochrane Library critically evaluating the effectiveness of physical activity/exercise for various health outcomes. Cochrane systematic reviews (CSRs) are known to be a source of high-quality evidence. Thus, it is not only timely but relevant to evaluate the current knowledge, and determine the quality of the evidence-base, and the magnitude of the effect sizes given the negative lifestyle changes and rising physical inactivity-related burden of diseases. This overview will identify the breadth and scope to which CSRs have appraised the evidence for exercise on health outcomes; and this will help in directing future guidelines and identifying current gaps in the literature.

The objectives of this research were to a. answer the following research questions: in children, adolescents and adults (both healthy and medically compromised) what are the effects (and adverse effects) of exercise/physical activity in improving various health outcomes (e.g., pain, function, quality of life) reported in CSRs; b. estimate the magnitude of the effects by pooling the results quantitatively; c. evaluate the strength and quality of the existing evidence; and d. create recommendations for future researchers, patients, and clinicians.

Our overview was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019120295) on 10th January 2019. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of interventions and Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews were adhered to while writing and reporting this overview [ 26 , 27 ].

Search strategy and selection criteria

We followed the practical guidance for conducting overviews of reviews of health care interventions [ 28 ] and searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), 2019, Issue 1, on the Cochrane Library for relevant papers using the search strategy: (health) and (exercise or activity or physical). The decision to seek CSRs only was based on three main aspects. First, high quality (CSRs are considered to be the ‘gold methodological standard’) [ 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Second, data saturation (enough high-quality evidence to reach meaningful conclusions based on CSRs only). Third, including non-CSRs would have heavily increased the issue of overlapping reviews (also affecting data robustness and credibility of conclusions). One reviewer carried out the searches. The study screening and selection process were performed independently by two reviewers. We imported all identified references into reference manager software EndNote (X8). Any disagreements were resolved by discussion between the authors with third overview author acting as an arbiter, if necessary.

We included CSRs of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving both healthy individuals and medically compromised patients of any age and gender. Only CSRs assessing exercise or physical activity as a stand-alone intervention were included. This included interventions that could initially be taught by a professional or involve ongoing supervision (the WHO definition). Complex interventions e.g., assessing both exercise/physical activity and behavioural changes were excluded if the health effects of the interventions could not have been attributed to exercise distinctly.

Any types of controls were admissible. Reviews evaluating any type of health-related outcome measures were deemed eligible. However, we excluded protocols or/and CSRs that have been withdrawn from the Cochrane Library as well as reviews with no included studies.

Data analysis

Three authors (HM, ALN, NK) independently extracted relevant information from all the included studies using a custom-made data collection form. The methodological quality of SRs included was independently evaluated by same reviewers using the AMSTAR-2 tool [ 32 ]. Any disagreements on data extraction or CSR quality were resolved by discussion. The entire dataset was validated by three authors (PP, MS, DP) and any discrepant opinions were settled through discussions.

The results of CSRs are presented in a narrative fashion using descriptive tables. Where feasible, we presented outcome measures across CSRs. Data from the subset of homogeneous outcomes were pooled quantitatively using the approach previously described by Bellou et al. and Posadzki et al. [ 33 , 34 ]. For mortality and quality of life (QOL) outcomes, the number of participants and RCTs involved in the meta-analysis, summary effect sizes [with 95% confidence intervals (CI)] using random-effects model were calculated. For binary outcomes, we considered relative risks (RRs) as surrogate measures of the corresponding odds ratio (OR) or risk ratio/hazard ratio (HR). To stabilise the variance and normalise the distributions, we transformed RRs into their natural logarithms before pooling the data (a variation was allowed, however, it did not change interpretation of results) [ 35 ]. The standard error (SE) of the natural logarithm of RR was derived from the corresponding CIs, which was either provided in the study or calculated with standard formulas [ 36 ]. Binary outcomes reported as risk difference (RD) were also meta-analysed if two more estimates were available. For continuous outcomes, we only meta-analysed estimates that were available as standardised mean difference (SMD), and estimates reported with mean differences (MD) for QOL were presented separately in a supplementary Table 9 . To estimate the overall effect size, each study was weighted by the reciprocal of its variance. Random-effects meta-analysis, using DerSimonian and Laird method [ 37 ] was applied to individual CSR estimates to obtain a pooled summary estimate for RR or SMD. The 95% prediction interval (PI) was also calculated (where ≥3 studies were available), which further accounts for between-study heterogeneity and estimates the uncertainty around the effect that would be anticipated in a new study evaluating that same association. I -squared statistic was used to measure between study heterogeneity; and its various thresholds (small, substantial and considerable) were interpreted considering the size and direction of effects and the p -value from Cochran’s Q test ( p < 0.1 considered as significance) [ 38 ]. Wherever possible, we calculated the median effect size (with interquartile range [IQR]) of each CSR to interpret the direction and magnitude of the effect size. Sub-group analyses are planned for type and intensity of the intervention; age group; gender; type and/or severity of the condition, risk of bias in RCTs, and the overall quality of the evidence (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria). To assess overlap we calculated the corrected covered area (CCA) [ 39 ]. All statistical analyses were conducted on Stata statistical software version 15.2 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, Texas, USA).

The searches generated 280 potentially relevant CRSs. After removing of duplicates and screening, a total of 150 CSRs met our eligibility criteria [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 , 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 , 147 , 148 , 149 , 150 , 151 , 152 , 153 , 154 , 155 , 156 , 157 , 158 , 159 , 160 , 161 , 162 , 163 , 164 , 165 , 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 , 170 , 171 , 172 , 173 , 174 , 175 , 176 , 177 , 178 , 179 , 180 , 181 , 182 , 183 , 184 , 185 , 186 , 187 , 188 , 189 ] (Fig. 1 ). Reviews were published between September 2002 and December 2018. A total of 130 CSRs employed meta-analytic techniques and 20 did not. The total number of RCTs in the CSRs amounted to 2888; with 485,110 participants (mean = 3234, SD = 13,272). The age ranged from 3 to 87 and gender distribution was inestimable. The main characteristics of included reviews are summarised in supplementary Table 1 . Supplementary Table 2 summarises the effects of physical activity/exercise on health outcomes. Conclusions from CSRs are listed in supplementary Table 3 . Adverse effects are listed in supplementary Table 4 . Supplementary Table 5 presents summary of withdrawals/non-adherence. The methodological quality of CSRs is presented in supplementary Table 6 . Supplementary Table 7 summarises studies assessed at low risk of bias (by the authors of CSRs). GRADE-ings of the review’s main comparison are listed in supplementary Table 8 .

Study selection process

There were 54 separate populations/conditions, considerable range of interventions and comparators, co-interventions, and outcome measures. For detailed description of interventions, please refer to the supplementary tables . Most commonly measured outcomes were - function 112 (75%), QOL 83 (55%), AEs 70 (47%), pain 41 (27%), mortality 28 (19%), strength 30 (20%), costs 47 (31%), disability 14 (9%), and mental health in 35 (23%) CSRs.

There was a 13% reduction in mortality rates risk ratio (RR) 0.87 [95% CI 0.78 to 0.96]; I 2 = 26.6%, [PI 0.70, 1.07], median effect size (MES) = 0.93 [interquartile range (IQR) 0.81, 1.00]; 10 CSRs, 187 RCTs, 27,671 participants) following exercise when compared with various controls (Table 1 ). This reduction was smaller in ‘other groups’ of patients when compared to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) patients - RR 0.97 [95% CI 0.65, 1.45] versus 0.85 [0.76, 0.96] respectively. The effects of exercise were not intensity or frequency dependent. Sessions more than 3 times per week exerted a smaller reduction in mortality as compared with sessions of less than 3 times per week RR 0.87 [95% CI 0.78, 0.98] versus 0.63 [0.39, 1.00]. Subgroup analyses by risk of bias (ROB) in RCTs showed that RCTs at low ROB exerted smaller reductions in mortality when compared to RCTs at an unclear or high ROB, RR 0.90 [95% CI 0.78, 1.02] versus 0.72 [0.42, 1.22] versus 0.86 [0.69, 1.06] respectively. CSRs with moderate quality of evidence (GRADE), showed slightly smaller reductions in mortality when compared with CSRs that relied on very low to low quality evidence RR 0.88 [95% CI 0.79, 0.98] versus 0.70 [0.47, 1.04].

Exercise also showed an improvement in QOL, standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.18 [95% CI 0.08, 0.28]; I 2 = 74.3%; PI -0.18, 0.53], MES = 0.20 [IQR 0.07, 0.39]; 15 CSRs, 408 RCTs, 32,984 participants) when compared with various controls (Table 2 ). These improvements were greater observed for health related QOL when compared to overall QOL SMD 0.30 [95% CI 0.21, 0.39] vs 0.06 [− 0.08, 0.20] respectively. Again, the effects of exercise were duration and frequency dependent. For instance, sessions of more than 90 mins exerted a greater improvement in QOL as compared with sessions up to 90 min SMD 0.24 [95% CI 0.11, 0.37] versus 0.22 [− 0.30, 0.74]. Subgroup analyses by the type of condition showed that the magnitude of effect was the largest among patients with mental health conditions, followed by CVD and cancer. Physical activity exerted negative effects on QOL in patients with respiratory conditions (2 CSRs, 20 RCTs with 601 patients; SMD -0.97 [95% CI -1.43, 0.57]; I 2 = 87.8%; MES = -0.46 [IQR-0.97, 0.05]). Subgroup analyses by risk of bias (ROB) in RCTs showed that RCTs at low or unclear ROB exerted greater improvements in QOL when compared to RCTs at a high ROB SMD 0.21 [95% CI 0.10, 0.31] versus 0.17 [0.03, 0.31]. Analogically, CSRs with moderate to high quality of evidence showed slightly greater improvements in QOL when compared with CSRs that relied on very low to low quality evidence SMD 0.19 [95% CI 0.05, 0.33] versus 0.15 [− 0.02, 0.32]. Please also see supplementary Table 9 more studies reporting QOL outcomes as mean difference (not quantitatively synthesised herein).

Adverse events (AEs) were reported in 100 (66.6%) CSRs; and not reported in 50 (33.3%). The number of AEs ranged from 0 to 84 in the CSRs. The number was inestimable in 83 (55.3%) CSRs. Ten (6.6%) reported no occurrence of AEs. Mild AEs were reported in 28 (18.6%) CSRs, moderate in 9 (6%) and serious/severe in 20 (13.3%). There were 10 deaths and in majority of instances, the causality was not attributed to exercise. For this outcome, we were unable to pool the data as effect sizes were too heterogeneous (Table 3 ).

In 38 CSRs, the total number of trials reporting withdrawals/non-adherence was inestimable. There were different ways of reporting it such as adherence or attrition (high in 23.3% of CSRs) as well as various effect estimates including %, range, total numbers, MD, RD, RR, OR, mean and SD. The overall pooled estimates are reported in Table 3 .

Of all 16 domains of the AMSTAR-2 tool, 1876 (78.1%) scored ‘yes’, 76 (3.1%) ‘partial yes’; 375 (15.6%) ‘no’, and ‘not applicable’ in 25 (1%) CSRs. Ninety-six CSRs (64%) were scored as ‘no’ on reporting sources of funding for the studies followed by 88 (58.6%) failing to explain the selection of study designs for inclusion. One CSR (0.6%) each were judged as ‘no’ for reporting any potential sources of conflict of interest, including any funding for conducting the review as well for performing study selection in duplicate.

In 102 (68%) CSRs, there was predominantly a high risk of bias in RCTs. In 9 (6%) studies, this was reported as a range, e.g., low or unclear or low to high. Two CSRs used different terminology i.e., moderate methodological quality; and the risk of bias was inestimable in one CSR. Sixteen (10.6%) CSRs did not identify any studies (RCTs) at low risk of random sequence generation, 28 (18.6%) allocation concealment, 28 (18.6%) performance bias, 84 (54%) detection bias, 35 (23.3%) attrition bias, 18 (12%) reporting bias, and 29 (19.3%) other bias.

In 114 (76%) CSRs, limitation of studies was the main reason for downgrading the quality of the evidence followed by imprecision in 98 (65.3%) and inconsistency in 68 (45.3%). Publication bias was the least frequent reason for downgrading in 26 (17.3%) CSRs. Ninety-one (60.7%) CSRs reached equivocal conclusions, 49 (32.7%) reviews reached positive conclusions and 10 (6.7%) reached negative conclusions (as judged by the authors of CSRs).

In this systematic review of CSRs, we found a large body of evidence on the beneficial effects of physical activity/exercise on health outcomes in a wide range of heterogeneous populations. Our data shows a 13% reduction in mortality rates among 27,671 participants, and a small improvement in QOL and health-related QOL following various modes of physical activity/exercises. This means that both healthy individuals and medically compromised patients can significantly improve function, physical and mental health; or reduce pain and disability by exercising more [ 190 ]. In line with previous findings [ 191 , 192 , 193 , 194 ], where a dose-specific reduction in mortality has been found, our data shows a greater reduction in mortality in studies with longer follow-up (> 12 months) as compared to those with shorter follow-up (< 12 months). Interestingly, we found a consistent pattern in the findings, the higher the quality of evidence and the lower the risk of bias in primary studies, the smaller reductions in mortality. This pattern is observational in nature and cannot be over-generalised; however this might mean less certainty in the estimates measured. Furthermore, we found that the magnitude of the effect size was the largest among patients with mental health conditions. A possible mechanism of action may involve elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor or beta-endorphins [ 195 ].

We found the issue of poor reporting or underreporting of adherence/withdrawals in over a quarter of CSRs (25.3%). This is crucial both for improving the accuracy of the estimates at the RCT level as well as maintaining high levels of physical activity and associated health benefits at the population level.

Even the most promising interventions are not entirely risk-free; and some minor AEs such as post-exercise pain and soreness or discomfort related to physical activity/exercise have been reported. These were typically transient; resolved within a few days; and comparable between exercise and various control groups. However worryingly, the issue of poor reporting or underreporting of AEs has been observed in one third of the CSRs. Transparent reporting of AEs is crucial for identifying patients at risk and mitigating any potential negative or unintended consequences of the interventions.

High risk of bias of the RCTs evaluated was evident in more than two thirds of the CSRs. For example, more than half of reviews identified high risk of detection bias as a major source of bias suggesting that lack of blinding is still an issue in trials of behavioural interventions. Other shortcomings included insufficiently described randomisation and allocation concealment methods and often poor outcome reporting. This highlights the methodological challenges in RCTs of exercise and the need to counterbalance those with the underlying aim of strengthening internal and external validity of these trials.

Overall, high risk of bias in the primary trials was the main reason for downgrading the quality of the evidence using the GRADE criteria. Imprecision was frequently an issue, meaning the effective sample size was often small; studies were underpowered to detect the between-group differences. Pooling too heterogeneous results often resulted in inconsistent findings and inability to draw any meaningful conclusions. Indirectness and publication bias were lesser common reasons for downgrading. However, with regards to the latter, the generally accepted minimum number of 10 studies needed for quantitatively estimate the funnel plot asymmetry was not present in 69 (46%) CSRs.

Strengths of this research are the inclusion of large number of ‘gold standard’ systematic reviews, robust screening, data extractions and critical methodological appraisal. Nevertheless, some weaknesses need to be highlighted when interpreting findings of this overview. For instance, some of these CSRs analysed the same primary studies (RCTs) but, arrived at slightly different conclusions. Using, the Pieper et al. [ 39 ] formula, the amount of overlap ranged from 0.01% for AEs to 0.2% for adherence, which indicates slight overlap. All CSRs are vulnerable to publication bias [ 196 ] - hence the conclusions generated by them may be false-positive. Also, exercise was sometimes part of a complex intervention; and the effects of physical activity could not be distinguished from co-interventions. Often there were confounding effects of diet, educational, behavioural or lifestyle interventions; selection, and measurement bias were inevitably inherited in this overview too. Also, including CSRs only might lead to selection bias; and excluding reviews published before 2000 might limit the overall completeness and applicability of the evidence. A future update should consider these limitations, and in particular also including non-CSRs.

Conclusions

Trialists must improve the quality of primary studies. At the same time, strict compliance with the reporting standards should be enforced. Authors of CSRs should better explain eligibility criteria and report sources of funding for the primary studies. There are still insufficient physical activity trends worldwide amongst all age groups; and scalable interventions aimed at increasing physical activity levels should be prioritized [ 197 ]. Hence, policymakers and practitioners need to design and implement comprehensive and coordinated strategies aimed at targeting physical activity programs/interventions, health promotion and disease prevention campaigns at local, regional, national, and international levels [ 198 ].

Availability of data and materials

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no raw data were analysed during the current study. All information in this article is based on published systematic reviews.

Abbreviations

Adverse events

Cardiovascular diseases

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Cochrane systematic reviews

Confidence interval

Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation

Hazard ratio

Interquartile range

Mean difference

Prediction interval

Quality of life

Randomised controlled trials

Relative risk

Risk difference

Risk of bias

Standard error

Standardised mean difference

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Yamato TP, Maher CG, Saragiotto BT, Hancock MJ, Ostelo R, Cabral CMN, Menezes Costa LC, Costa LOP. Pilates for low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;7.

Yang ZY, Zhong HB, Mao C, Yuan JQ, Huang YF, Wu XY, Gao YM, Tang JL. Yoga for asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;4.

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Additional file 1:.

Supplementary Table 1. Main characteristics of included Cochrane systematic reviews evaluating the effects of physical activity/exercise on health outcomes ( n = 150). Supplementary Table 2. Additional information from Cochrane systematic reviews of the effects of physical activity/exercise on health outcomes ( n = 150). Supplementary Table 3. Conclusions from Cochrane systematic reviews “quote”. Supplementary Table 4 . AEs reported in Cochrane systematic reviews. Supplementary Table 5. Summary of withdrawals/non-adherence. Supplementary Table 6. Methodological quality assessment of the included Cochrane reviews with AMSTAR-2. Supplementary Table 7. Number of studies assessed as low risk of bias per domain. Supplementary Table 8. GRADE for the review’s main comparison. Supplementary Table 9. Studies reporting quality of life outcomes as mean difference.

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Posadzki, P., Pieper, D., Bajpai, R. et al. Exercise/physical activity and health outcomes: an overview of Cochrane systematic reviews. BMC Public Health 20 , 1724 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09855-3

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221+ Interesting Kinesiology Research Topics (Updated 2024)

Kinesiology, the study of human movement, sparks a world of fascinating kinesiology research topics that touch every aspect of our lives. Imagine exploring fifteen different areas where movement science thrives. Dive into Biomechanics, then there’s Exercise Physiology, delving into how our bodies respond and adapt to physical activity – from endurance training to the effects of exercise on health.

Move over to Motor Control, where researchers unravel how our brains orchestrate movement, influencing skills like playing instruments or even everyday tasks like typing. Or explore the depth of Sports Psychology, understanding the mind’s role in athletic performance, from motivation to mental toughness.

From Rehabilitation Kinesiology to Cardiopulmonary Kinesiology, investigating the heart and lungs’ function each category branches into fifteen unique research topics. Picture a wealth of discoveries waiting in each field, inviting everyone to explore the wonders of human movement in simple, captivating ways.

Unlock your academic potential with our tailored . From essays to assignments, our expert guidance ensures top grades. Elevate your learning journey and conquer every challenge with confidence!

10 Step Guide For Selecting The Most Suitable Kinesiology Research Topics

Table of Contents

Going on a research journey in Kinesiology begins with the crucial step of choosing the right topic. With its diverse disciplines having human movement, exercise science, and health, selecting a compelling research topic is major Here are ten strategic steps to guide your search for a meaningful and impactful research topic in the field of Kinesiology and they are:

Identify Your Interests

Start by exploring your own interests within Kinesiology. What aspects of human movement, exercise science, or physical activity intrigue you the most? Consider areas like biomechanics, exercise physiology, sports psychology, rehabilitation, or specific populations like pediatric or geriatric Kinesiology.

Review Current Literature

Run a proper review of existing research in Kinesiology. Look for gaps, unanswered questions, or emerging trends in the field. Pay attention to recent publications and ongoing debates that could spark new research ideas.

Consult Experts or Mentors

Engage with professors, experts, or mentors in Kinesiology. Discuss your interests and potential research areas with them. Their insights and experience can help refine your ideas and suggest valuable directions for exploration.

Consider Practical Applications

Evaluate the practical applications of potential research topics. How might your research contribute to improving sports performance, enhancing rehabilitation methods, preventing injuries, or promoting health and wellness?

Narrow Down and Define

Once you’ve gathered ideas, narrow down your options to a few specific research topics. Define these topics clearly, ensuring they are focused and researchable within a reasonable scope.

Assess Feasibility

Consider the feasibility of each research topic. Evaluate factors such as access to resources, equipment, participants (if human subjects are involved), time constraints, and ethical considerations.

Brainstorm Methodologies

Outline the methodologies you might employ for each potential research topic. Consider whether quantitative analysis, qualitative studies, experiments, surveys, or a combination would best suit your research objectives.

Seek Feedback

Share your shortlisted research topics with peers or academic advisors for feedback. Their perspectives can help refine your ideas and identify any overlooked aspects.

Final Selection

Based on the feedback received and your own evaluation, select the research topic that aligns best with your interests, feasibility, available resources, and potential impact in the field of Kinesiology.

Refine and Develop Proposal

Once you’ve chosen a research topic, refine it further into a clear research proposal. Define your research questions, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes in detail.

These steps can guide you through the process of selecting a research topic in Kinesiology, making sure that you select a topic that aligns with your interests and has the potential for meaningful contributions to the field.

Kinesiology Research Topics: 2024

Let us start this interesting journey and we will be guided by 15 categories and more than 221 kinesiology research topics. Here they are:

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Exercise Science Research Guide

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Choosing your topic

Choosing your research topic is an important step in writing your paper. First, choose a topic you're interested in. You don't want a topic that is too narrow or one that has little or no research about it. Think of a topic that will have enough articles/research relating to it. Is it significant enough that research has been done on it?

How to choose a topic? Writing different ideas down on paper can help your ideas flow. You also want a topic that piques your curiosity. Keep in mind you have to live with this topic over the course of an entire semester.

Try identifying 3 potential research topics. Consider related concepts. Then, perform a quick search on all three. From your three ideas, choose the one that is strongest. Are there enough articles available? Is the topic too general? Does the topic seem to broad or narrow?

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Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

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The journal publishes original research in two main practical areas: 1) the "Process of Science" (aspects surrounding scientific discovery and practice, which could include findings from investigations, novel scientific applications, or experience gained through completing research), and 2) "Implementation Strategies" (processes by which aspects can be applied to the performance or practice of exercise, including pre-exercise routines, novel training applications, or methods for improving performance). The journal accepts original research submissions in the following categories 1) Expedited Articles, 2) Review Articles, and 3) Case Studies.

The journal also publishes “Topics Briefs” which distills evidence-based information into a content format more easily implemented than the typical publication written for an academic audience. The aim of the TESK offering is to provide clear, digestible, and practical information for specific populations in the area of exercise science and kinesiology. If you have questions about where your work fits, please contact the editors .

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Acute Ingestion of Dark Chocolate Fails to Affect Running Economy in Recreational Female Runners Bianca J. De Lucia, Beau Kjerulf Greer, and Christopher B. Taber

Determining the barriers to the use of post-match fatigue monitoring in the rugby codes: A Concept Mapping study. Mitch Naughton, Tannath Scott, Dan Weaving, Scott McLean, and Colin Solomon

Establishing the Validity and Reliability of the Astroskin® Biometric Shirt Alex MacQuarrie, Jasmin Sidhu, Chloe Deetlefs, Steve Whitfield, and Matt Stainer

The Cardiorespiratory Response while Nordic Walking vs. Regular Walking Among Middle-Aged to Older Adults Thomas R. Atwood, Alyssa R. Horton, Natalie G. Hanson, Katelyn N. Moyer, Saori I. Braun, Nicholas M. Beltz, and Jeffrey M. Janot

Simultaneous Acute Stretching with Whole Body Vibration does not have an Additive Effect on Extensibility of the Hip Adductor Muscles Roger L. Hammer Dr., Peter V. Loubert, and Naveen Sharma

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Breakaway Roping – Event Analysis and Resistance Training Model Andrew A. Wolfe, Libby E. Winchell, Ruth Caddell, Jackson Maynard, and Gillian Braden

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Kinematic characteristics of novices’ sprint techniques at maximum velocity phase Saburo Nishimura and Yoshinori Kinomura

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154 Exercise Physiology Research Topics: Essay Ideas

As a scientific study of life, physiology deals with the mechanism of living organisms. It primarily focuses on the physical functions of organ systems, cells, individual organs, and biomolecules. It is the study of how the body works. By integrating both physics and chemistry, it tries to understand the factors that connect the body systems leading to its performance. This academic field also requires research for students. However, getting exercise research topics to choose from could be difficult. This is because there is numerous research existing in the field. This article offers custom topics in exercise physiology for your paper or essay. Before you access these topics, want to know how to create the best paper? Find details below:

Process of Writing a Good Research

Writing a good research requires your focus. It also requires a familiarity with the field which could make your research easier and successful. Thus, to overcome every basic challenge you may face before or during research, you can consider this process:

Choosing a Topic If you’ve been given an assignment, this could be a challenging part for you. To do this, discover what’s interesting to you. What is interesting to you will be enjoyable, which makes selecting a topic from all available information easy. You can try to be creative with how you craft the topic. Preliminary Research At this stage, you need to research to see if there is enough information on the subject you want to discuss. Having enough information helps you set the context in which your research will be founded. You can try encyclopedias and many other internet sources. You can even consult lectures online, textbooks, journals, articles, and many other sources to readjust the focus of your topic. Gather Relevant Materials Gathering relevant material is as important as the previous step. This is because the materials have the information which is required for the work you want to do. You must therefore source your materials from online libraries and offline libraries. Because you’re writing on physiology, you may need to speak to trainers too, depending on what your topic is all about. Read and Take Notes Now, you can either engage in thorough reading during the research or breeze through the materials. However, it’s profitable if you check the table of contents to find the section of a book or journal which particularly discusses related topics of your research. When you do this, you get to read what is essential, ignoring others. While you read, you should also take notes. Taking notes lets you know the major points you want to build your arguments on. This could even help you with referencing and bibliography. Write This is where you organize your information and arguments. This doesn’t mean you should copy or plagiarize what you’ve read. It simply means writing what you understand after moments of creative assessment. Don’t try to get it right on the first attempt. There is room for drafts and revisions. Referencing Citing your sources properly shows that you didn’t plagiarize. An academic paper cannot be sourced from the author’s experience alone so you need to document where you got the information. To properly do this, know the required referencing format your institution or department prefers. There is MLA, APA style, Harvard, and many others. Understand the formats and reference your sources. This makes your professors and teachers believe you didn’t plagiarize another author. Proofread This is the final stage where you go through your paper again. You may do it once or five times. It depends on how satisfied you are with your paper. Proofreading is the stage where you assess your grammar or spelling errors as well as your punctuation weaknesses. It is also the stage where you ensure that the information you needed to share was passed across as you wanted it.

So, writing a paper for a high grade is not an easy task. It’s better to hire a professional writer and get your custom research paper complete on time.

How to Structure a Physiology Research Paper

Structuring your research paper is another essential thing to consider while writing. The following tips will help you know how to properly structure your paper:

The Title Page This is a significant section in the process of writing your paper. This shows the readers what your topic is all about and it makes your paper clearer. This is also where you also add your name. The Abstract An abstract is the summation of your research and the paper you’ve written. While it comes up before the introduction, it is often written after all the paper is written. Your abstract gives a brief overview of your paper, what you discussed, the resolutions, and the key points readers must not forget about the research. Your Introduction This is where you capture the hearts of your readers, professors, or teachers. This stage is where you give detailed information on the background of your research, the objectives you aim to achieve, and the materials and methods to be used to achieve the results. Main Body This is where you share the results of your findings. At this juncture, you’ll state your arguments and discuss everything you have discovered. If your work will be groundbreaking, this is the section to pay particular attention to. Conclusion This is where you give a summary of everything you’ve discussed. You can also share the key points with your readers here, to refresh their memory about the most important things in your research. You can also include a way forward or an action you expect your readers or experts to take. References This section is where you document every source which was instrumental in the course of writing the paper. This has already been discussed earlier.

If this process seems too long and tiring for you, you should remember about the opportunity to buy custom research paper from our expert team who will be happy to help you save time and nerves.

Exercise Physiology Topics

As a student of physiology, you may find it difficult to find the topic you can easily write on. You need to write a paper but you have limited access to a stream of exercise physiology topics of interest. You can consider the following:

How does exercise physiology help in fighting against obesity?
Role of aerobic exercise in losing belly fat
The importance of physical exercise s for heart rehabilitation
How to address knee injuries in athletes
The right diet for athletes
Is an athlete’s diet different from footballers’ diet?
What are the distinctions between male and female athletes?
Examine the body’s capacity to adapt to pain during rigorous physical activities
Discuss the health benefits of whole-grain diets to athletes
Analyze the benefits of whole-grain diets to people trying to lose weight
Examine the dangers of sprains
How outdoor activities help with depression
How sports can help create social relationships
How autism symptoms can be alleviated through physical exercises
Analyze the effect of caffeine in Exercise
Discuss the connection between physical exercise and aggressiveness
How physical activities affect neurons
Why do people believe Asians cannot lead Africans in sport?
What are the physical limitations of Performance in some sports
Examine the performance level of Usain Bolt since the start of his career
Analyze the importance of physical activities for athletes
Discuss the physical activities for swimmers
How can people enhance their energy levels?
How can obese people stay motivated while losing weight?
Are there alternatives to physical exercises?
Examine the negative effects of bodybuilding
What are the dangers of physical exercises on human cells
Express the ability of physical exercise in fighting disease
How does arterial stiffness affect the ability to exercise
Discuss what kinesiology entails.

Exercise Physiology Topics of Interest

You can also discuss exercise science research topics that are of interest to you. These are advanced and custom topics in exercise science for every academic level. Consider:

Motor teaching in kinesiology
An analysis of muscle anatomy
An analysis of hip biomechanics
An assessment of muscle synergies
Motor learning in kinesiology and results
Benefits of jogging
Benefits of alcohol reduction
How physical exercises wrestle flu
The role of physical exercises in staying healthy
Why does the heart pound during jogging?
Non-communicable diseases and their link with physical activities
Assess how effective walking uphill is to walking downhill
Best diets for working out
How physical activities Improve moods
Role of physical activities in curing anxiety
Design physical activities hide for autistic children
Daily exercise: is it a necessity?
How physical exercises affect mental health
What are the signs of stress?
How do physical exercises affect cardiovascular health?

Exercise Science Research Topics

As physiology deals with the science of human physical activities, you need topics on exercise physiology. You can choose from any of the below for your creative paper:

Main principles of kinesiology
How kinesiology helps in biomechanics
Kinesiology sport apps
Recent discoveries which have made physiology easier to understand
How athletes can improve through kinesiology
The role of kinesiology in orthopedic activities
An in depth overview of how exercise by principle has worked so far
How doctors achieve muscle movements for patients
Suggested exercises for muscle development
Suggested exercises for better body shape
Why men are aggressive than women in bodybuilding
The composition of the human bones
Analyze the human skeleton
Which muscle powers the leg of an athlete?
How can performance be assessed on the track?
Discuss how to increase flexibility
Is dancing a sport?
The biomechanics involved in running
A guide to staying in the correct posture while working out
The effects of incorrect postures while working out
Why should exercises be consistent?
What are the movements that activate the muscle?
Suggestions to a long-distance athlete
Suggestions to a short distance athlete.

Exercise Physiology Project Ideas

Do you want to write a project? There are numerous exercise physiology paper topics to base your project on. You can consider these:

Five exercises to try with a team
5 exercises to try alone
An analysis of any three exercises and what they do to the body
How to improve health and physical fitness
Sports supplements: discuss
Is there a thing as over-working out?
The benefits of physical fitness to pregnant women
Physical fitness: effects on retired boxers
Physical fitness: the cause of sagging bodies
How to maintain physical shape in old age
Why should anyone do physical exercise?
Does physical exercise help with learning abilities?
Why should shoes be worn during workouts?
How to prevent sports injuries?
How physical activities help college students’ academic prowess
Role of physical exercise in boosting immune systems
How can exercises prevent diabetes?
How can exercises make bones recover early?
The role of physiotherapy in sports
Why do people need a fitness tracker?
The role of tech in physiology
Importance of vitamins in sports and exercises
Why do you need to jot your fitness journey?
Features of the best running shoes
Does the sun help the body during workouts?

Exercise Physiology Research Paper Topics

Physiology and physical exercises are also connected to mental health strength. This is why you may want to consider these physiology research topics:

Effects of video games
Role of video games in physical activities motivation
What can mitigate sport performance?
Things to avoid while preparing for a football match
Things to avoid why preparing for a race
Why should athletes in preparation for a game avoid sex?
Does alcohol affect an athlete’s performance 24 hours after drinking?
The factors of the body responsible for Flexibility
The consequence of a prolonged training period
How sport-related injuries can affect interest in physical activities
Examine how bones develop
Discuss the physical exercise of humans and any animal of your choice and examine the distinctions
The consequence of running barefoot
How to properly plan your meal
Healthy diets in UK schools
Healthy diets in US schools
Healthy diets in low-income countries’ schools
How physical activities affect the nervous systems
How physical activities impact the psychology
How are skeletons kept balanced?
Give an overview of the elderly persons’ health performance in Europe
Protein a bodybuilder should consume?
The predictable movement patterns causing Injuries
How physical exercises help with muscle contraction
How physical activities make people age.

Interesting Topics in Exercise Physiology

Would you like to consider something interesting for your paper or essay? You can dig through existing research related to some topics below and express yourself on exercise physiology. You can choose any of these great exercise physiology project ideas:

The psychology in kinesiology
Role of psychology in physical fitness
How kinesiology helped in building prosthetics
Exercise for injured war veterans
How to keep fit after a long break
How physical exercises can cause stress
How physical exercise can strain
The challenge facing men on getting abs
How to build your abs
An overview of controversial published physiology papers
How to avoid belly fats
Does the body go back to its earlier shape when you stop working out?
How to empower your leg through exercises
How to empower the arm through exercises
How to train for biceps
How to discover the best bodybuilders
Are online bodybuilding activities functional as offline bodybuilding activities?
An overview of recent discovery on exercise science
What is most important to a basketballer?
What training routine is most important to a boxer?
What is the importance of warming up?
How effective is bike riding?
What does cross-fit training mean?
How to retain training strength
What are the training routines to stick to?
Examine what plyometric exercises mean
Spinning classes and their advantages
Why people should work on their shoulders
The importance of chest workouts
Can yoga be called a type of physical exercise?

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Exercise Science Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Leveraging Church Environments to Promote Rural Physical Activity and Healthy Eating , Kelsey Rothera Day

The Role of Environmental Context in Supporting Children’s 24- Hour Movement Behaviors; A Positive Deviance Perspective , Roddrick Dugger

Effects of Caffeine on Measures of Clinical Outcome and Recovery Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescents , Jacob Michael Eade

Sleep, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Time in the First Year Postpartum , Erin Elizabeth Kishman

Mechanisms of Social Stress Susceptibility and Resilience in Female Rats , Brittany Sara Pate

Predictors of Driving Performance Post-Stroke , Halle Elise Prine

A Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Double-Blind, Crossover Study to Evaluate the Effects of Two Novel Hydration Beverage Formulas on Rehydration in Healthy Adults , Nathaniel David Rhoades

Effect of Action Selection Demands on the Execution of Goal-Directed Reaches , James Garrison Riedy

An Examination of Inter-Limb Functional Asymmetry After a Fatiguing Bout of Exercise in High Level Soccer Players , Nestor Urrea

Causes and Consequences of the Risk of Generalizability Biases in Health Behavioral Interventions , Lauren von Klinggraeff

Exercise and Mental Health Over the Course of a Semester , Jamie Alexis Whitney

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Molecular Architecture of Cardiometabolic Responses to Regular Exercise , Jacob L. Barber

Relationships Among Sleep, Physical Activity, and Weight Status in Children and Adolescents , Agnes Bucko

Self Reported Cardiovascular Health and Health Behaviors in Women Veterans , Seth Byland

Sports Nutrition- and Strength and Conditioning-based Interventions to Bolster Health and Human Performance in Male and Female Tactical Personnel , Harry Paul Cintineo

Psychophysiological Biomarkers of Concussion Recovery , Adam Todd Harrison

The Effects of Exercise Training on Cholesterol Efflux Capacity in the HERITAGE Family Study , Joshua Adam Hawkins

Physical Activity and Stress Between American Students and Asian International Students at the University of South Carolina , Hao Lei

Effects of Positive Social Comparative Feedback During Practice on Motor Sequence Learning, Performance Expectancies, and Resting State Connectivity , Allison Foster Lewis

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The impact of leisure activities on older adults’ cognitive function, physical function, and mental health

Giovanni sala.

1 Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan

Daniela Jopp

2 Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Fernand Gobet

3 Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom

Madoka Ogawa

4 Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiko Ishioka

5 Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan

Yukie Masui

Hiroki inagaki, takeshi nakagawa.

6 National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi, Japan

Saori Yasumoto

7 Graduate School of Human Sciences, University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan

Tatsuro Ishizaki

Yasumichi arai.

8 Center for Supercentenarian Medical Research, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

Kazunori Ikebe

9 Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

10 Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

Yasuyuki Gondo

Associated data.

According to the approval by the Institutional Review Board of Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry (approval number H22-E9), our dataset cannot be made available for others. If the other researcher requests to use our dataset, he/she should be approved as a co-researcher by our IRB. If someone requires to use the dataset, please contact the data access committee at first: pj.ca.u-akaso.suh@cinos . In order to reproduce the main models, we provide the covariance matrices and R codes ( https://osf.io/csvwt/ ).

Engagement in leisure activities has been claimed to be highly beneficial in the elderly. Practicing such activities is supposed to help older adults to preserve cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, and thus to contribute to successful aging. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the impact of leisure activities on these constructs in a large sample of Japanese older adults ( N = 809; age range 72–74). The model exhibited an excellent fit (CFI = 1); engaging in leisure activities was positively associated with all the three successful aging indicators. These findings corroborate previous research carried out in Western countries and extend its validity to the population of Eastern older adults. Albeit correlational in nature, these results suggest that active engagement in leisure activities can help older adults to maintain cognitive, physical, and mental health. Future research will clarify whether there is a causal relationship between engagement in leisure activities and successful aging.

Introduction

Leisure activities (hereafter LA) can be defined as activities people engage in during free time [ 1 ]. Engagement in LAs has been found to be positively associated with cognitive function, physical function, and mental health in late adulthood and in the elderly. The possible protective effects of LA engagement against aging-related decline have thus been the object of investigation in the last two decades.

Of these three outcomes, preserved cognitive function has received most attention and the link with LA engagement in the elderly is well established [ 2 – 5 ]. Three possible explanations have been proposed for the observed relationship between cognitive function and LA engagement. First, practicing mentally challenging activities (e.g., music, board games, video games, and brain training) may enhance overall cognitive function [ 6 ]. However, this idea has received little adequate empirical support [ 7 – 9 ] in the general population. Second, people exhibiting superior overall cognitive function may be more likely to engage in LAs that are cognitive demanding. This hypothesis has been corroborated by numerous studies in the field of chess and music [ 10 , 11 ]. Finally, engaging in intellectually demanding LAs may slow down cognitive decline. This idea relies on the so-called “use it or lose it” hypothesis according to which engaging in intellectually demanding activities helps to preserve cognitive function in the elderly [ 12 , 13 ]. This hypothesis has received some support by studies implementing dual-change approaches to test for causality between LA engagement and preserved cognitive function [ 14 , 15 ].

Compared to the link between LA engagement and cognitive function, the impact of LA engagement on physical function has been less studied [ 16 ]. Most research has focused on the adverse effects of illness and injuries on LA engagement. Reduced LA engagement has, in turn, detrimental effects on indicators of mental health such as well-being and life satisfaction [ 17 ]. The field has thus paid more attention to how physical function influences LA engagement rather than vice-versa. Another line of research has examined the effects of physical activity and LAs (as independent variables) on cognitive function [ 12 , 18 ].

Finally, LA engagement seems to be related to mental health as well. Mental health aspects such as well-being and life satisfaction have been found to positively correlate with LA engagement in several studies (for a review, see [ 17 ]). Studies implementing a longitudinal design have confirmed these findings [ 19 ]. Nonetheless, the amount of robust experimental evidence is still modest [ 20 ].

Considering its positive effects for key dimensions of functioning in older age, LA engagement seems to have an important role for successful aging . In their seminal article, Rowe and Kahn [ 21 ] introduced the concept of successful aging in opposition to usual aging . While usual aging emphasizes the non-pathological aging (e.g., absence of disease), successful aging captures an optimal aging process. Successful aging is, according to Rowe and Kahn, best characterized by the concurrent presence of three dimensions, namely high cognitive and physical function, low probability of disease and disability, and active engagement in life. The latter captures the involvement in productive and social activities, giving those activities a similar importance as health and functioning for successful aging. The importance of activities for successful aging has also been stressed very early on in other seminal theories, including activity theory by Havighurst, Neugarten, and Tobin [ 22 ]. Such more multidimensional conceptualizations of successful aging have resulted in complementing prior approaches by including mental-health related dimensions such as well-being [ 17 , 23 – 25 ]. Here, we investigate the relationship between engagement in LAs and fundamental dimensions of successful aging such as cognitive function, physical function, and mental health.

The present investigation

This study examines the impact of engagement in LAs on cognitive function, physical function, and mental health in a group ( N = 809) of Japanese older adults. As most of the studies in the field are based on samples from Western countries (e.g., US and Germany), little is known about this issue in non-Western countries. The present study aims to fill this gap by adding new information from a country of the Far East (i.e., Japan). Moreover, prior studies usually suffer from limitations such as relying on subjective measures of cognitive and physical function [ 26 , 27 ] and dichotomization of continuous variables [ 27 , 28 ]. Also, the use of multiple-indicator latent variables, which is necessary to reduce measurement error and, hence, produce more reliable estimates, has been sporadic [ 2 ]. The present study employs objective measures of functioning as well as multiple indicators allowing complex modeling and controls for measurement error.

Furthermore, previous studies of both Western and Eastern populations have focused on the association between LA engagement and other components of successful aging (e.g., cognitive function) one at a time. By contrast, here we study the relationship between LA engagement and cognitive function, physical function, and mental health in a single model. This approach allows us to examine not only the direct effects of LA engagement on indicators of successful aging, but also how cognitive function, physical function, and mental health influences each other. Recent research into the field has in fact shown that mutual relationships occur between cognitive function, physical function, and mental health [ 17 , 29 – 31 ]. However, these bi-directional effects have never been studied in relationship with LA engagement.

We aim to address the above limitations with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). An SEM model allows us to analyze the impact of LA engagement on all the variables of interest–cognitive function, physical function, and mental health–simultaneously (i.e., in a single SEM model). Such a model rules out potential confounds (e.g., Type I error due to a missing covariate) and takes into account the bidirectional paths between the endogenous latent variables. This way, the model estimates the unique (i.e., not confounded by other correlated variables) impact of LA engagement on the other dimensions of successful aging. To the best of our knowledge, no such study has been carried out in this field so far. Also, SEM models can estimate latent constructs of interest (i.e., cognitive function, physical function, and mental health), which are psychometrically more precise and reliable than observed indicators (i.e., test and questionnaires scores). Finally, while the studies in the field have usually assessed physical function with self-report questionnaires [ 19 ], the indicators we use are objective measures.

To sum up, the study aims (a) to test the previous claims about the relationship between LA engagement and successful aging by employing a more robust and comprehensive modeling approach; (b) to extend the current empirical evidence–which is mostly on cognitive function–by examining the impact of LA engagement on less studied dimensions of successful aging such as physical function and mental health; (c) to quantify both direct and indirect effects of LA engagement; and (d) to extend the relatively small amount of data concerning the role played by LA engagement in the successful aging dimensions of Eastern populations.

Materials and methods

Participants.

The study included a total of 809 Japanese participants (381 men and 428 women). The age range was 72 to 74. The data were retrieved from the second wave of the Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians (SONIC) survey. These particular study cohort and wave were selected because they reported the most extensive and detailed LA-engagement questionnaire.

The SONIC is an ongoing survey whose main purpose is to identify the correlates of healthy aging. It includes both urban and rural (ratio 2:1) community-dwelling older adults. The participants were recruited from residential registries and contacted by postal mail. They gave their informed consent on site prior to starting the survey. For all the details about the SONIC survey, see [ 32 ].

Leisure-activity (LA) engagement

This questionnaire included 158 yes/no items regarding the participant’s engagement in as many activities. The questionnaire was based on the questionnaires presented in Karp et al. and Jopp and Hertzog’s studies [ 4 , 33 ], and it was extended by adding common activities among Japanese older adults (e.g., playing shogi, practicing tai chi, and going to a public bath [onsen]). The questionnaire showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .88). The list of the activities is reported in the Supplemental materials available online. A latent factor representing LA engagement was extracted from the questionnaire with the ltm R package and used in the analyses [ 34 ].

Cognitive function

Three measures of cognitive ability were used to estimate a latent variable representing cognitive function: the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J; [ 35 ]); the number series completion task from the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone as a measure for reasoning skills [ 36 ]; and the recall subtest of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS; [ 37 ]). For all tests, a specific score was obtained, with higher values indicating higher capacity.

Physical function

Two measures of physical function from the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; [ 38 ]) were administered: the participants’ gait speed and chair stand test. For both tests, performance indicators were captured in seconds, with fewer seconds to complete the task indicating better health functioning. The third measure was the 10-second open-close stepping test [ 39 ], for which a smaller number of steps to complete the task indicated better functional health.

Mental health

Three measures of mental health were administered: the Japanese versions of the WHO-5 well-being index questionnaire [ 40 ], positive section of the Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS; [ 41 ]), and Satisfaction With Life Scale [ 42 ]. In all the indicators, higher numbers indicate better mental health.

We included gender (male, female), education and wealth as covariates to control for their potential effect on LA engagement or its link to the successful aging outcomes. Education consisted of three levels indicating the highest degree achieved by the participant (1 = primary/middle school, 2 = high school, and 3 = university/college education). Wealth described the participant’s economic situation and included five levels (from 1 = difficult economic situation to 5 = very good economic situation). These two variables were added to assure that the effect of LA engagement was not confounded with SES-related variables such as education and wealth status. Finally, gender was used as a grouping variable to test for measurement invariance across males and females. The rationale of this choice is that SES variables (such as education and wealth) may not always be equally good predictors of the constructs of interests between males and females. For example, it is reasonable to suppose that, in the fifties, intellectually gifted males were more likely to advance in their studies than equally intellectually gifted females.

Data preparation and analysis

Variables transformation and outlier treatment.

All the continuous variables were normalized and standardized. Normalization reduces the inflation of absolute measures of fit (e.g., χ 2 ) and incidence of outliers in the dataset. Also, normalization tends to linearize the relationship among multiple measures of the same construct [ 43 ], and thus reduces biases due to potential non-linear relationships between indicators. The normalization was run with the bestNormalize R package [ 44 ].

The normalized variables were inspected for possible outliers. A value was considered as an outlier if it fell outside of the following range [Q1–2.2*IQR; Q3 + 2.2*IQR], where Q1, Q3, and IQR were the first quartile, the third quartile, and the interquartile range of the variable, respectively [ 45 ]. Only two outliers were detected (both in the MoCA-J scores) and winsorized.

Power calculation

The statistical power for not-close fit hypothesis testing was estimated [ 43 ]. Assuming the null RMSEA = .050, alternative RMSEA = .010, and α = .050, the statistical power was very high (> 99%). The number of participants recruited was thus more than adequate for global fit testing and rejection of false models. These analyses were run with the semTools R package [ 46 ].

SEM modeling

The lavaan R package [ 47 ] was used to run all the SEM models. An equality constraint between two factors (physical function and mental health) was added to identify the models. We built one model including all the variables. LA engagement, subjective wealth, and education were predictors of the three latent variables cognition, physical function, and mental health in the regression equations. Also, since some studies have provided evidence of a bidirectional relationship between physical function, cognitive function, and mental health [ 17 , 29 , 30 ], feedback loops were included between the latent variables. Due to the inclusion of two ordinal variables (education and subjective wealth), we chose the unweighted weighted least squares estimator (ULS). (An additional set of analyses was carried out with an alternative estimator [WLSM] that does not assume multivariate normality.) Gender was used for multiple-group analysis.

The descriptive statistics (untransformed means and standard deviations) are reported in Table 1 .

	Males ( = 381)		Females ( = 428)				Total ( = 809)

LA Engagement	21.64	10.45	22.47	10.49	-1.12	.263	22.08	10.48	0–65
MoCA-J	23.41	2.92	23.95	2.96	-2.58	.010	23.69	2.95	12–30
ADAS Recall	14.91	3.71	16.61	3.74	-6.49	.000	15.81	3.82	5–26
Number Series	0.11	1.08	-0.21	1.05	4.29	.000	-0.06	1.07	-2.59–2.00
Chair Stand Test (s)	10.88	3.37	10.14	2.96	3.36	.001	10.49	3.18	3.78–32.57
Gait Speed (s)	2.47	0.57	2.41	0.51	1.63	.104	2.44	0.54	1.36–5.69
Stepping Test	25.19	6.42	26.40	5.75	-2.82	.005	25.82	6.10	6–46
WHO5	15.63	5.09	16.17	4.85	-1.54	.123	15.91	4.97	0–25
Positive Affect	10.38	2.76	11.29	2.57	-4.83	.000	10.86	2.70	3–15
Life Satisfaction	23.24	5.72	23.03	5.38	0.52	.602	23.13	5.54	5–35
Education	2.17	0.73	1.98	0.67	3.78	.000	2.07	0.71	1–3
Wealth	2.94	0.81	2.91	0.79	0.55	.584	2.92	0.80	1–5

The SEM model in which LA engagement predicted cognitive function, physical function, and mental health as concurrent successful aging outcomes, and controlling for SES (i.e., education and wealth), proved to have an excellent fit: χ 2 (79) = 70.34, RMSEA = 0.000, SMRM = 0.037, CFI = 1.000. Comparative fit testing showed that this model outperformed the homologous model without the grouping variable (i.e., gender; CFI = 1.000). Measurement invariance analysis showed that the weak (metric) invariance was not rejected ( p = .356). The strong (i.e., scalar) invariance hypothesis was rejected ( p < .001), suggesting the presence of a differential additive response style [ 43 ] between genders. The model structure is in Fig 1 .

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is pone.0225006.g001.jpg

The squares and rectangles represent observed variables. The rectangles represent indicators for the latent variables (circles). The arrows represent the paths.

The latent variables and regression coefficients are summarized in Table 2 . LA engagement was positively related to all the latent factors in both male and female participants (all p s ≤ .003). The size of the effects was moderate (Std.Est ranging between 0.185 and 0.306; Table 2 ), yet comparable or even superior to the one of education and wealth. Also, the results showed a statistically significant reciprocal effect between cognitive function and physical function (Std.Est ranging between 0.113 and 0.201). No significant effect was observed between mental health and physical function or cognitive function. Finally, no meaningful difference was observed with the WLSM estimator (see the OSF link). Fig 2 highlights the statistically significant paths in the SEM model.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is pone.0225006.g002.jpg

The numbers indicate the standardized path coefficients in males and females, respectively. Non-significant paths in either males or females and the indicators of the latent variables (all significant) are omitted for the sake of clarity.


Latent variables
		.		.			.		.

MoCA-J	1.000			0.672		1.000			0.596
ADAS Recall	0.854	0.104	.000	0.587		0.920	0.182	.000	0.552
Number Series	0.590	0.081	.000	0.405		0.603	0.126	.000	0.353

Chair Stand Test	1.000			0.589		1.000			0.646
Gait Speed	0.867	0.104	.000	0.498		0.836	0.122	.000	0.547
Stepping Test	1.522	0.190	.000	0.854		1.082	0.164	.000	0.732

WHO5	1.000			0.727		1.000			0.696
Positive Affect	1.103	0.115	.000	0.808		1.079	0.150	.000	0.764
Life Satisfaction	0.997	0.102	.000	0.719		0.882	0.115	.000	0.617

					.427					.204
LA Engagement	0.219	0.063	.000	0.306		0.163	0.054	.003	0.253
Physical Function	0.228	0.047	.000	0.201		0.160	0.042	.000	0.174
Mental Health	0.015	0.048	.745	0.017		-0.082	0.038	.034	-0.096
Education	0.267	0.088	.002	0.292		0.131	0.081	.108	0.150
Wealth	0.081	0.049	.096	0.103		0.041	0.064	.527	0.055
					.199					.132
LA Engagement	0.134	0.045	.003	0.212		0.172	0.046	.000	0.246
Cognitive Function	0.133	0.036	.000	0.151		0.123	0.030	.000	0.113
Mental Health	-0.003	0.026	.896	-0.004		0.031	0.027	.251	0.034
Education	0.030	0.062	.621	0.038		0.011	0.071	.878	0.011
Wealth	0.093	0.049	.057	0.127		-0.003	0.055	.952	-0.004
					.214					.114
LA Engagement	0.203	0.053	.000	0.259		0.140	0.045	.002	0.185
Cognitive Function	0.002	0.030	.945	0.002		-0.070	0.025	.005	-0.059
Physical Function	-0.003	0.026	.896	-0.004		0.033	0.024	.165	0.031
Education	0.008	0.075	.915	0.008		0.008	0.072	.912	0.008
Wealth	0.297	0.058	.000	0.327		0.192	0.057	.000	0.220

Note . Estimate = unstandardized path coefficient; Std.Err = standard error; p -value = significance level; Std.Est = standardized path coefficient.

a An equality constraint was applied to identify the model.

This paper quantified the impact of LA engagement on measures of successful aging including cognitive function, physical function, and mental health in a sample of Japanese older adults. LA engagement appears to be positively related to all these three constructs in both men and women (all p s ≤ .003). The implementation of a comprehensive SEM model allowing to consider different successful aging indicators concurrently, the excellent goodness of fit, the high statistical power, and the implementation of latent constructs based on tasks measuring objective performance (cognitive function and physical function) and reliable self-reported questionnaires (mental health) make the findings of the present study more reliable than most of previous research.

Substantive findings

Overall, the present results corroborate the idea that LA engagement contributes to explaining the individual differences in cognitive function, physical function, and mental health. LA engagement was positively associated with successful aging indicators. The results are in line with the “use it or lose it” theoretical framework and previous findings in Western populations [ 3 , 13 , 48 ]. Thus, the findings of the present study support the position that leading an active lifestyle, here assessed by engagement in leisure activities, is a universal and culture-independent means contributing to successful aging, invariant across different countries and cultures.

Inspection of the regression standardized path coefficients (Std.Est column in the Table 2 ) indicates that the impact of LA engagement on the three latent variables is statistically significant and comparable (or even superior; range of Std.Est 0.185–0.306) to the one exerted by education and self-perceived wealth. Furthermore, the impact of LA engagement is systematically superior to the one exerted by the three endogenous variables on each other (range -0.096–0.201). Nonetheless, the size of these effects is somewhat smaller than the ones reported in those few studies implementing an SEM approach (e.g., 0.490; [ 3 ]). This discrepancy is probably due to the inclusion of three endogenous latent variables connected to each other with feedback loops in a single non-recursive model. Such a model controls for the potential confounding effects of one latent variable on the others. Part of the variance that it would be intercepted by LA engagement is instead absorbed by the paths connecting the three latent variables. Simply put, the model controls, for example, that the positive relationship between LA engagement and cognitive function does not only stem from better mental health or physical function. That being said, overall, LA engagement appears to contribute significantly to explaining unique variance in individual differences in important aspects of successful aging.

Some indirect effects were observed for LA engagement, specifically when considering cognitive and physical function. In particular, cognitive function and physical function influenced each other in a feedback loop, which supports recent evidence showing that the relationship between cognition and physical health is bidirectional [ 29 , 30 ]. LA engagement thus seems to exert an indirect effect on cognitive function mediated by physical function and vice versa. On this regard, the benefits of physical activity on cognitive function can be attributed to an ameliorated overall health condition (e.g., brain oxygenation and stimulation of neurogenesis [ 49 ]). Why better cognition should lead to improved physical health is less obvious. A possible explanatory mechanism could be an overall better self-regulation enabling the participant to be more physically active [ 29 ]. However, due to the correlational nature of the present study, no causal inference in either direction can be made and, thus, none of these hypotheses can be tested.

By contrast, mental health was not associated with either of the other two latent variables. In particular, the absence of any link between physical function and mental health appears to contradict previous findings in the field [ 17 , 50 ]. Possibly, this discrepancy is explained by the use of subjective measures of physical function in prior studies. In fact, while self-reported measures of physical function and mental health may reflect individuals’ perception of their overall health condition, objective measures of physical function may not be correlated with subjective measures of mental health. It is further of note that we used exclusively balance and gait measures as indicators of physical function, which may also have contributed to the lack of relation between our physical and mental health latent construct. That being said, the topic is certainly worth of further investigation.

Finally, there is no clear evidence that the effect of LA engagement on the three latent constructs differed between males and females. The relevant standardized path coefficients were relatively homogeneous when comparing the patterns across genders. A notable difference between the models for males and females was, however, the amount of explained variance, which was nearly twice as large in males compared to females. This is probably because the covariates were associated with greater factor loadings in males than in females. Basically, considering gender through multi-group testing improved the goodness of fit but had no notable impact on the relationship between LA engagement and the endogenous variables (i.e., cognitive function, physical function, and mental health).

Recommendations for future research

In this study, we have considered LA engagement as a single trait. This assumption is upheld by the high internal consistency of our LA questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = .88) and is in line with substantial findings in the field [ 3 ]. Nonetheless, it is possible that engagement in particular types of activities (e.g., playing strategy games, technology use) is more strongly linked to specific constructs such as cognitive function [ 10 , 11 , 33 , 48 ]. In future studies, it is thus recommendable to test whether overall LA engagement subsumes specific types of activities impacting differently on the examined constructs, or whether specific activities are more important for certain successful aging aspects than others. The main drawback of this approach is that requires larger sample sizes than the ones usually included in surveys. Reducing the number of activities in the questionnaire is an alternative [ 2 ] but it has the serious shortcoming of decreasing the overall reliability of the measure. In fact, some individuals may practice relatively unusual LAs that would be necessarily excluded in a shorter questionnaire.

Another point of interest is the frequency of LA engagement. The sheer number of activities practiced by older adults is certainly a good proxy for their engagement in LA, but it is not necessarily the best possible one. How often an activity is practiced may play a significant role too. A further improvement may thus be, for instance, the use of a Likert scale to assess the frequency with which the participants engage in the activities they practice [ 3 , 33 ]. It is worth noting, however, that including frequency may not meaningfully enhance the predictive power of the measure. In fact, previous research suggests that most health benefits of an active life-style in the elderly occur after only a moderate amount of engagement [ 51 ].

Finally, a fundamental caveat needs to be mentioned. Our analysis is correlational in nature, and thus cannot establish any direction of causality between LA engagement and measures of successful aging. In our opinion, there are three possible explanations for our results: (a) LA engagement causes improvements in cognitive function, physical function, and mental health; (b) people with superior cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, are more likely to engage in LA; and (c) LA and the three constructs influence each other, that is, LA engagement positively affects measures of successful aging which, in turn, promotes LA engagement. This latter possibility is, in our opinion, the most likely explanation. That being said, studies implementing an LA intervention are necessary to test this hypothesis. Specifically, a longitudinal non-recursive SEM model would allow researchers to assess this presumed “virtuous circle” between LA engagement and measures of successful aging by imposing a feedback loop between the variables at different time points.

Conclusions

The present study reported an SEM model examining the relationship between LA engagement and three essential dimensions of successful aging (i.e., cognitive function, physical function, and mental health) in a large sample of Japanese older adults. In line with substantial research into the field, the results confirmed the link between LA engagement and cognitive function. However, the size of the effect was meaningfully smaller than the one reported in previous studies. Similar effects were found for physical function and mental health.

The investigation significantly extends our knowledge in the field. First, thanks to a more comprehensive modeling approach, the study provides a more reliable estimate of the impact of LA engagement on cognitive function. Second, due to the use of multiple and objective physical indicators, it adds much-needed evidence of a link between LA engagement and preservation of good physical function in the elderly. Similar considerations apply to the influence of LA engagement in older adults’ mental health. Third, the findings suggest that the role played by LA engagement is cultural-independent. Finally, our study sheds some light on mechanisms of LA engagement that have not been much (if not at all) investigated so far, such as the bidirectional effects of practicing LAs on cognitive function and physical function.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully thank all the participants for their time and effort. We also thank Fred Oswald and Yves Rosseel for their assistance in the statistical analysis.

Funding Statement

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science [17F17313 to GS; 17H02633 to YG], the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan [21330152 to YG; 26310104 to YG], the Grant for promoting Human Sciences research by Osaka university Graduate school of Human Sciences and the International Joint Research Promotion Program at Osaka. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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