The effects of acute exercise on episodic memory function among young university students: moderation considerations by biological sex

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate potential sexspecific differences on episodic memory function and determine whether sex moderates the effects of acute exercise on episodic memory.Methods: A randomized controlled intervention was employed. This experiment was conducted among young University students (mean age = 21 years). Both males (n=20) and females (n=20)completed two counterbalanced laboratory visits, with one visit involving a 15minute bout of moderateintensity exercise prior to the memory task. The control visit engaged in a time matched seated task. Memory function (including shortterm memory, learning, and longterm memory) was assessed from the RAVLT (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test).Results: We observed a significant main effect for time (P lt;0.001, ƞ2p= 0.77) and a marginally significant main effect for sex (P=0.06, ƞ2p= 0.09), but no time by sex by condition interaction(P=0.91, ƞ2p= 0.01). We also observed some suggestive evidence of a more beneficial effect of acute exercise on memory for females. Conclusion: In conclusion, females outperformed males in verbal memory function. Additional research is needed to further evaluate whether sex moderates the effects of acute exercise on memory function.