Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39740775›Full record

SynthesisBrain and behavior2025

Executive Function Strengths in Athletes: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Shuangquan Ren, Peng Shi, Xioasu Feng, Kai Zhang, Wenchao Wang

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Shuangquan RenDepartment of Physical Education, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, China.
Peng ShiSchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2322-183X
Xioasu FengSchool of Physical Education, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China.
Kai ZhangSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Wenchao WangSchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Funding

Basic Research Programs for Universities in Liaoning Province LJ112410165067Society of Sports Science of Liaoning Province 2024LTXH039
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWhether athletes possess superior executive functions still needs further examination. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the executive function advantages of athletes and the differences in these advantages between open- and closed-skill sports through systematic review and meta-analysis.

methodsComputer searches of CNKI, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SPORTDiscus databases were conducted. After document selection, data extraction, and quality assessment by two researchers, data processing, statistical analysis, and visual presentation were performed using SPSS 25.0, Stata 16.0, and GraphPad Prism 8 software.

resultsA total of 41 articles were included, including 3845 athletes with a mean age of 9.6-42.8 years. Athletes showed more positive inhibitory control (Z = 5.18, standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.631, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = -0.869 to -0.392, p = 0.000) and working memory (Z = 3.42, SMD = -0.382, 95%CI = -0.601 to -0.163, p = 0.001) compared to the general group with no sports experience. Elite and sub-elite, and sub-elite and amateur athletes all showed more positive performance on the cognitive flexibility task compared to the latter. In addition, open-skilled athletes performed more positively on working memory and cognitive flexibility tasks compared to closed-skilled athletes. Egger linear regression analysis revealed a possible publication bias for inhibitory control, whereas there was no publication bias for working memory and cognitive flexibility. Univariate meta-regression analysis revealed that date of publication (β = 0.145) and sample size (β = -0.002) were sources of heterogeneity between studies for the inclusion of cognitive flexibility (p < 0.05). The sensitivity analysis of the one-by-one elimination method and the cut-and-patch method found the results to be relatively robust and reliable.

conclusionAthletes have superior executive function performance that increases with sports experience. In addition, open-skilled athletes showed more positive executive function. The result has guiding significance for the selection and training of athletes in the future.

Indexed as

AthletesExecutive FunctionAdolescentAdultAthletic PerformanceHumansInhibition, PsychologicalMemory, Short-TermYoung Adultathletesbrain sciencescross‐sectional studyexecutive functionsports experiencesport skills

Identifiers

PMID39740775
PMCPMC11688047

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.