Cycling could be accessible tool for improving brain health, review finds

A comprehensive review of nearly 90 studies found that cycling can be an accessible tool for improving brain health and overall well-being, particularly when done outdoors and consistently.

A review of nearly 90 studies across 19 countries, including the US, Canada and several European countries, where cycling was tested as an intervention has found that the physical activity can be an accessible tool for improving brain health and overall well-being, such as through better moods and increased social connections.

Researchers from Outride, a US-based non-profit, The University of Oklahoma and Loma Linda University, said that with increasing mental health challenges and low physical activity levels, identifying low-cost, effective ways to support both well-being and movement throughout the lifespan is critical.

The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, suggested that cycling -- particularly outdoors and consistently -- offers the most benefits across well-being domains.

''This review demonstrates that going for a bike ride can support everything from boosts in mood, to increases in social networks, to improvements in cognition,'' lead author Lauren Schuck, senior research manager at Outride, said.

The analysis also linked cycling to improvements in reaction time, attention, and indicators of brain function associated with focus and cognitive performance.

''Results indicate positive impacts of bicycling on well-being, including improved mood, reduced depressive symptoms, increased social connection, and enhanced cognitive functioning, especially among interventions occurring outdoors and over multiple sessions,'' the authors wrote.

In practice, cycling can take on many forms of biking such as school-based riding programs, community group rides, stationary biking at gyms, and active commuting, all which provide opportunities to support mental well-being and brain health in everyday life, they said.

The team added that cognitive benefits from cycling tended towards an ''inverted-U pattern'' -- while moderate intensity can support cognition, overly intense exertion can temporarily impair it, they said.

More research is needed among youth, older adults, and underserved communities, especially in real-world settings, the researchers said.