Plastic and functional effects of exercising on the brain: original ways to enhance cognition through sports practice

International audienceRecently, numerous studies have demonstrated the significant effect of exercising on human cognition and brain’s plasticity, in children as well as adults. While providing the latest development and findings in a fast-growing area, this paper offers several original ideas on how the relevant research in connected fields such as cognitive sciences, neuropsychology and neuroanatomy can be applied to sports practice, in order to optimize its cognitive outcomes. The authors provide the reader with practical situations in a sport context, easy to apply in any kind of environment, and targeting cognitive functioning. Overall, it shows how sport can constitute a viable alternative to more traditional computerized tasks when it comes to enhancing general cognitive abilities at all ages