Running ahead of the evidence? Rethinking the exercise-cognition consensus after five decades of research

The Internet is flooded with short news, feature articles, videos, and podcasts extollingthe goodness of physical exercise. For a few years now, these claims haveincreasingly emphasized the cognitive benefits of practicing physical exerciseregularly, statements and beliefs that are seemingly backed up by hundreds ofrandomized controlled trials (RCTs), dozens of meta-analyses synthesizing thisempirical work, and even endorsements from the World Health Organization (WHO).This consensus, however, deserves closer scrutiny.