A meta-analysis of the effects of aerobic exercise on inhibitory control in university students and an analysis of moderating effects

Background Aerobic exercise has been increasingly recognized as a potential strategy for enhancing executive function, yet its effect on inhibitory control in university students remains inconsistent, and the intervention characteristics associated with effect variability are unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize randomized controlled trial evidence on the effects of aerobic exercise on inhibitory control in university students and to explore potential moderators. Methods PubMed, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP were systematically searched from inception to March 2026. Randomized controlled trials involving university students aged 18–25 years, aerobic exercise interventions, eligible control conditions, and validated inhibitory-control tasks were included. Hedges’ g was used as the effect-size metric. Random-effects models with restricted maximum likelihood estimation and Hartung–Knapp adjustment were applied. Subgroup analyses examined participant type, intervention period, exercise intensity, exercise session duration, and task paradigm, and exploratory univariable multilevel meta-regression was conducted to account for multiple effects nested within studies. Results Nine independent studies involving 605 participants were included. Aerobic exercise produced a small but statistically significant improvement in inhibitory control (Hedges’ g = −0.353, 95% CI [−0.591, −0.115], p = 0.009), with low statistical heterogeneity ( I 2 = 26.98%). Leave-one-study-out analyses showed stable pooled estimates ( g = −0.397 to −0.288). No statistically significant between-group differences were observed for participant type, intervention period, exercise intensity, exercise session duration, or task paradigm. Exploratory meta-regression likewise identified no statistically significant moderator associations. Egger’s test was not significant ( p = 0.072). Conclusion Aerobic exercise may produce a small but statistically significant improvement in inhibitory control among university students; however, the practical significance of this effect remains uncertain, and the current evidence is entirely based on studies conducted in China. Although some intervention subgroups showed numerically different effect estimates, the limited number of independent studies means that the current evidence is insufficient to determine whether participant or exercise characteristics moderate the intervention effect. Further high-quality randomized trials are needed to clarify dose–response relationships and optimize aerobic exercise prescriptions for inhibitory-control enhancement. Systematic Review Registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261335563 . CRD420261335563).