Abstract
The idea that physical activity differentially impacts upon performance of various cognitive tasks has recently gained increased interest. However, our current knowledge about how cognition is altered by acute physical activity is incomplete. To measure how different intensity levels of physical activity affect cognition during and after 1 bout of physical activity, 30 healthy, young participants were randomized to perform a not-X continuous performance test (CPT) during low (LI)- and moderate intensity (MI) running. The same participants were subsequently randomized to perform the not-X CPT post LI, MI, and high intensity (HI) running. In addition, exercise related mood changes were assessed through a self-report measure pre and post running at LI, MI, and HI. Results showed worsening of performance accuracy on the not-X CPT during one bout of moderate compared to low intensity running. Post running, there was a linear decrease in reaction time with increasing running intensity and no change in accuracy or mood. The decreased reaction times post HI running recovered back to baseline within 20 min. We conclude that accuracy is acutely deteriorated during the most straining physical activity while a transient intensity-dependent enhancement of cognitive control function is present following physical activity.
Highlights
Beside the well-established concept of primary and secondary prevention of lifestyle diseases through physical activity (Warburton et al, 2006), an emerging body of multidisciplinary research has linked physical activity to improvements in selective aspects of brain function and cognition (Booth and Lees, 2006; Vaynman and Gomez-Pinilla, 2006).The most common measures of cognitive function in the exercise literature are measures of performance speed and accuracy
CCPT performance measures and corresponding T-scores derived from norms available from the test developer are
VO2max, maximal aerobic capacity; HR, heart rate; Accuracy, sum of Omission and Commission errors; T-score were calculated from the CCPT-II software
Summary
Beside the well-established concept of primary and secondary prevention of lifestyle diseases through physical activity (Warburton et al, 2006), an emerging body of multidisciplinary research has linked physical activity to improvements in selective aspects of brain function and cognition (Booth and Lees, 2006; Vaynman and Gomez-Pinilla, 2006).The most common measures of cognitive function in the exercise literature are measures of performance speed and accuracy. Evidence for an association between physical conditioning and improved reaction time was already reported in the early 20th century (Burpee and Stroll, 1936; Lawther, 1951; Pierson and Montoye, 1958) Since these early studies, a number of studies have investigated various variables in order to determine the impact of exercise on cognitive function, results have been somewhat conflicting (Tomporowski, 2003; Chang et al, 2012; McMorris and Hale, 2012). Test administration during exercise has the largest effect on executive tasks, with impairments predominately up to 20 min (Lambourne and Tomporowski, 2010; Chang et al, 2012)
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