Abstract
Mental imagery is used extensively in the sporting domain. It is used for performance-enhancement purposes, arousal regulation, affective and cognitive modification, and rehabilitation purposes. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate whether acute exercise and mental imagery of acute exercise have similar effects on cognitive performance, specifically memory function. A within-subject randomized controlled experiment was employed. Participants (N = 24; Mage = 21.5 years) completed two exercise-related visits (i.e., actual exercise and mental imagery of exercise), in a counterbalanced order. The acute-exercise session involved 10 min of intermittent sprints. The mental-imagery session involved a time-matched period of mental imagery. After each manipulation (i.e., acute exercise or mental imagery of acute exercise), memory was evaluated from a paired-associative learning task and a comprehensive evaluation of memory, involving spatial–temporal integration (i.e., what, where, and when aspects of memory). Bayesian analyses were computed to evaluate the effects of actual exercise and mental imagery of exercise on memory function. For the paired-associative learning task, there was moderate evidence in favor of the null hypothesis for a main effect for condition (BF01 = 2.85) and time by condition interaction (BF01 = 3.30). Similarly, there was moderate evidence in favor of the null hypothesis for overall (what-where-when) memory integration (BF01 = 3.37), what-loop (BF01 = 2.34), where-loop (BF01 = 3.45), and when-loop (BF01 = 3.46). This experiment provides moderate evidence in support of the null hypothesis. That is, there was moderate evidence to support a non-differential effect of acute exercise and mental imagery of acute exercise on memory function.
Highlights
Mental imagery is used extensively in the sporting domain
The mental imagery of running has been shown to enhance parahippocampal and cerebellar neural activity, which take place in brain regions associated with memory function [9,10,11]
For the treasure-hunt task (THT), there was moderate evidence in favor of the null hypothesis for overall (WWW) memory integration (BF01 = 3.37), what-loop (BF01 = 2.34), where-loop (BF01 = 3.45), when-loop (BF01 = 3.46). This experiment set out to determine whether memory function is differentially influenced by acute exercise vs. mental imagery of acute exercise. The motivation for this experiment was from prior research demonstrating that (1) mental imagery of exercise can enhance sport performance and cognitive attributes related to support performance, and (2) memory-related brain structures are activated during both actual exercise engagement and mental imagery of acute exercise
Summary
Mental imagery is used extensively in the sporting domain. It is used for performance-enhancement purposes, arousal regulation, affective and cognitive modification, and rehabilitation purposes [1]. Acute exercise has been shown to enhance memory function for both episodic- and workingmemory tasks [3,4,5]. Recent research demonstrates that imagined exercise activates similar brain regions to those activated during actual engagement in exercise [7,8]. The mental imagery of running has been shown to enhance parahippocampal and cerebellar neural activity, which take place in brain regions associated with memory function [9,10,11]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have