Physical Activity Patterns and Brain Health: A Systematic Review About Weekend Warrior vs Regular Exercise on...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Exercise Science

Background:

• The
• weekend warrior
• (WW) physical activity pattern involves concentrating exercise into one to two sessions per week.
• Regularly distributed physical activity involves spreading exercise across multiple days.
• The neuroprotective benefits of these distinct physical activity patterns require clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and assess whether the WW physical activity pattern offers neuroprotective benefits comparable to regularly distributed physical activity.
• To evaluate the association between WW and regular physical activity patterns with various neurological and psychological outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of observational studies was conducted using major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library).
• Studies reporting dementia, Parkinson's disease, depression, anxiety, psychological distress, or cognitive outcomes were included.
• Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-E, with data extracted by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

• Twelve studies with 614,882 participants were included.
• Both WW and regular physical activity were associated with reduced risks of depression, psychological distress, dementia, and Parkinson's disease compared to inactivity.
• Some evidence suggested protective associations with anxiety, and higher cognitive performance in active individuals, with potential slight advantages for WW in specific subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Achieving 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity weekly, whether in WW or regularly distributed patterns, provides comparable neuroprotective benefits.
• These findings support flexible, patient-centered exercise recommendations.
• Even subthreshold physical activity demonstrates measurable neuroprotection, reinforcing that any activity is beneficial.