Physical exercise and motor learning: A scoping review

Physical exercise, as an adjunct to motor task practice, can enhance motor learning by inducing neurophysiological changes known to facilitate this process. This preregistered scoping review mapped current knowledge on physical exercise’s effect on motor learning. The search strategy used indexed terms and keywords across several databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete, ERIC and Dissertations & Theses Global (ProQuest). A total of 66 sources were included, comprising 62 experimental studies and 4 review articles. Most studies involved healthy populations (83%), while fewer focused on clinical populations (17%). Aerobic exercise was the predominant type used, with lower-limb cycling the most common approach (73%). Among various intensity levels, high-intensity exercise was most frequently investigated; however, in some studies, reported exercise intensity did not accurately reflect the method prescribed (6%). In contrast, resistance exercise was rarely examined (0.6%), highlighting a notable gap in existing literature. While some studies assessed both motor skill acquisition and a retention test (55%), others only employed a retention test (45%). Motor learning was measured at different time points including short-term or long-term delayed retention tests, or both. This underscores the need for consistent inclusion of long-term delayed retention tests to better capture lasting effects of physical exercise on motor learning. This review highlights gaps in the literature, including underrepresentation of clinical populations, inaccurate reporting of exercise intensity, scarce research on resistance exercise, and limited assessment of long-term retention tests, all of which may affect interpretation of the effect of physical exercise on motor learning.