It's all over the Internet that Charles Barkley remembers he ate two pizzas and drank three beers right before an NCAA tournament game — and he scored 44 points.

Whether that's fact or fiction, when we praise the positive impact of athletics and physical activity on memory, that's not quite what we're talking about.

A new analysis in the journal Memory reviewed data from 21 studies and found that athletes' working memory is significantly better than non-athletes, and markedly better than people who are sedentary.

Working memory is the ability to retain and manipulate information, and it’s very important for the efficiency and quality of cognitive processing athletes need to act quickly and appropriately.

For example, football players rely on working memory to keep tabs on their teammates' and opponents' movements and to help them make quick, strategic decisions.

Physically active people who aren't officially "athletes" also benefit from moderate to vigorous activities. A study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found improvements in cognition, processing speed, memory, and executive function when people get regular exercise. And the more they get, the greater the protection of their brain power.

Make sure you enjoy 300 minutes of activity that makes you sweat and two strength-building sessions weekly.

And avoid lousy diet plans. Even former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is now saying, "I wish I'd eaten healthier foods to build a better body."