ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC ACTIVATION DURING CYCLE ERGOMETER EXERCISE649

Abstract

This study sought to examine the effects of exercise on electroencephalographic [EEG] activity using a repeated measures design. Participants (N=29): (a) sat quietly for 15-min; (b) exercised for 15-min on a recumbent cycle ergometer at 145-160 bpm; and (c) sat quietly for 15-min. Sixteen 1.28 s sweeps of artifact-free EEG activity (i.e., from F4, F3, T4, and T3) were recorded every 5-min. Hypotheses predicted: (a) no change in EEG activity during the baseline; and (b) change in EEG activity (i.e., consistent with brain activation) during exercise. The data were quantified via spectral analysis and power densities were combined for the alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) EEG bands. A 2 × 9 (EEG Band × Time) MANOVA revealed a two-way interaction, F (8,224)=8.36,p<0.0001. Follow-up oneway MANOVAs for alpha,F(8,224)=2.03, p<.04, and beta,F(8,224)=6.94, p<.0001, activity across time were significant. Alpha activity was lower than baseline during exercise. Beta activity was higher than baseline during exercise. Thus, as expected, there were no changes in EEG activity during the baseline and there were changes in EEG activity, consistent with brain activation, during exercise.