Abstract
There is considerable evidence showing that an acute bout of physical exercises can improve cognitive performance, but the optimal exercise characteristics (e.g., exercise type and exercise intensity) remain elusive. In this regard, there is a gap in the literature to which extent sprint interval training (SIT) can enhance cognitive performance. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a time-efficient SIT, termed as “shortened-sprint reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training” (SSREHIT), on cognitive performance. Nineteen healthy adults aged 20–28 years were enrolled and assessed for attentional performance (via the d2 test), working memory performance (via Digit Span Forward/Backward), and peripheral blood lactate concentration immediately before and 10 min after an SSREHIT and a cognitive engagement control condition (i.e., reading). We observed that SSREHIT can enhance specific aspects of attentional performance, as it improved the percent error rate (F%) in the d-2 test (t (18) = −2.249, p = 0.037, d = −0.516), which constitutes a qualitative measure of precision and thoroughness. However, SSREHIT did not change other measures of attentional or working memory performance. In addition, we observed that the exercise-induced increase in the peripheral blood lactate levels correlated with changes in attentional performance, i.e., the total number of responses (GZ) (rm = 0.70, p < 0.001), objective measures of concentration (SKL) (rm = 0.73, p < 0.001), and F% (rm = −0.54, p = 0.015). The present study provides initial evidence that a single bout of SSREHIT can improve specific aspects of attentional performance and conforming evidence for a positive link between cognitive improvements and changes in peripheral blood lactate levels.
Highlights
It can be hypothesized that shortened-sprint reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training” (SSREHIT) might trigger neurobiological processes that lead to an improvement of attentional performance but that do not directly benefit the working memory performance
Our findings suggest that an acute bout of SSREHIT can improve specific aspects of attentional performance in younger adults without inducing strong displeasure
Our study adds initial evidence to the literature that time-efficient exercise modalities such as SSREHIT can provide a sufficient stimulus to increase the performance in specific cognitive domains
Summary
There is growing evidence in the literature that a single bout of physical exercises can acutely enhance performance in cognitive domains such as attention or executive functioning [1,2]. The optimal exercise characteristics (e.g., type of physical exercise, exercise intensity, and exercise duration) to effectively improve cognitive performance are largely unknown [1,2]. Among various types of physical exercise, many studies have shown that moderate-intensity exercises can acutely increase cognitive functions [1,3]. Moderate-intensity exercises often require a higher time commitment, which is, among other factors, known to be one of the main perceived barriers preventing younger
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