Association of Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity With Cognitive Performance: Evidence From Brazil

Objective: It is estimated that 2% of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented with increases in physical activity. However, there is little evidence of the association between vigorous physical activity (VPA) and cognitive performance. This study aimed to investigate the association of moderate physical activity (MPA) and VPA with cognitive performance in older adults from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brasil). Patients and Methods: Data from 7954 participants were analyzed. Mean age was 61.8 +/- 9.2 years, 61.8% were women, and 44.3% were mixed races. Cognitive performance evaluated the memory, temporal orientation, and verbal fluency domains. A global composite z-score was derived from the tests. Physical activity was assessed by self-report. We used linear regression models to verify the association of MPA and VPA with cognitive performance. Results: Compared with participants who did not meet the guidelines for MPA (<150 min/wk), those who met the guidelines (150 to 299 min/wk) and those who performed more than 2x the recommended amount of MPA (300 min or more/wk) had better global cognitive performance (beta = 0.163, 95% CI = 0.086, 0.241; P < 0.001; beta = 0.180, 95% CI = 0.107, 0.253, P < 0.001, respectively). We found no association between VPA and cognitive performance. Conclusion: There was no additional benefit of VPA for cognitive performance.