Examining the impacts of acute aerobic exercise on cognition, mood, and related biomarkers: A systematic review

Background: Acute aerobic exercise is known to improve mood and cognition, yet the biological mechanisms driving these effects remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether acute exercise induces changes in peripherally measured biomarkers that co-occur with changes in cognitive-affective (CA) outcomes. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO (June 2024) for studies measuring both peripheral biomarkers and CA outcomes within 1 hour after a single bout of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise. Inclusion required human samples aged 12–65, controlled exercise conditions, and assessing an association between biomarker and CA outcome change. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated pooled standardized mean differences (Cohen’s d) for biomarker and CA outcome changes. Descriptive synthesis summarized biomarker–CA associations. Results: Forty-one studies (N = 1,597 participants, 108 sample × condition contrasts) met inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses showed small-to-moderate increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; d = 0.58) and endocannabinoids (eCBs; d = 0.24) post-exercise. CA outcomes improved in attention/processing speed (d = 1.12), anxiety/stress reactivity (d = –0.96), negative affect/mood (d = –0.69), and executive function (d = 0.21). Descriptive analyses found the most consistent biomarker–outcome associations for eCBs and affective outcomes. Conclusions: Acute aerobic exercise reliably improves mood and cognitive performance and increases circulating BDNF and eCBs. Early evidence suggests eCBs may co-vary with affective benefits, although findings are heterogeneous. This review identifies promising candidate mechanisms for future mechanistic and translational research on personalized exercise interventions for mental health.