Abstract
Acute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient strategy to improve physical health; however, the effect of acute HIIT on executive function (EF) is unclear. The aim of this study was to systematically review the existing evidence and quantify the effect of acute HIIT on overall EF and the factors affecting the relationship between acute HIIT and EF. Standard databases (i.e., the PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and CENTRAL databases) were searched for studies that examined the effect of acute HIIT on EF and were published up until January 2021. The overall EF and factors grouped by three categories, namely, EF assessment characteristics, exercise intervention characteristics, and sample and study characteristics, were analyzed by percentage of comparison for positive or null/negative effects. Overall, 35 of 57 outcomes (61%) across 24 studies revealed that acute HIIT has a positive effect on overall EF. In terms of factors, the results indicated that among EF assessment characteristics, groups, inhibition, updating, and the assessment occurring within 30 min may moderate the effect of acute HIIT on EF, while among exercise intervention characteristics, total time within 11 to 30 min may moderate the effect. Finally, among sample characteristics, age under 40 years may moderate the effect. Acute HIIT is generally considered a viable alternative for eliciting EF gains, with factors related to EF components, timing of the assessment, exercise total time, and age potentially moderating the effect of HIIT on EF.
Highlights
This systematic review identified 57 outcomes across 24 articles in order to investigate the effect of acute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on executive function (EF) and to examine whether factors grouped into three categories, namely, EF assessment characteristics, exercise intervention characteristics, and sample and study characteristics, affect the relationship between HIIT and EF
They indicated that EF assessment characteristics, exercise intervention characteristics and sample characteristics may all moderate the relationship between acute HIIT and EF
In terms of timing of the assessment, our findings indicate that positive effects of acute HIIT on EF were observed for assessments conducted within 30 min of the exercise (i.e., ≤10 min, 11–20 min, 21–30 min) but not for assessments conducted more than 30 min after the termination of the exercise suggest that the beneficial effects of acute HIIT on EF
Summary
Acute exercise, which refers here to a single bout of exercise, has received considerable and increasing interest due to its facilitating effect on cognitive function [1,2,3]. It is currently recommended by both the American College of Sport Medicine guidelines (ACSM, 2020) and various national physical activity guidelines based in part on its beneficial effects on cognitive function [4].
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