ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPLHIC ALPHA AND BETA ACTIVITY DURING STEADY-STATE EXERCISE650

Abstract

This study sought to examine the effects of exercise on electroencephalographic [EEG] activity. Participants (N=28) were randomly assigned to either the exercise group (EG) or the nonexercise group(NEG). The EG: (a) sat quietly for 5-min; (b) exercised for 15-min on a recumbent cycle ergometer at 145-160 bpm; and (c) sat quietly for 5-min. The NEG did not exercise. Sixteen 1.28 s sweeps of artifact-free EEG activity(i.e., from F4, F3, T4, and T3) were recorded every 5-min. Hypotheses were that there would be: (a) no change in EEG activity across time in the NEG; and(b) change in EEG activity across time in the EG. The data were quantified via spectral analysis and power densities were combined across the alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) bands. A 2 × 2 × 5 (Group × Band × Time) MANOVA revealed a three-way interaction, F(4,96)=2.8,p<.03. Oneway MANOVAs showed time effects for alpha,F(4,52)=5.1, p<.001, and beta, F(4, 52) = 2.7, p<.04, activity in the EG. Alpha activity was lower than baseline during exercise. The time effects in the NEG were nonsignificant. Thus, EEG activity changed across time in the EG, but not in the NEG. The changes observed in EEG activity were consistent with exercise-related brain activation.