Beneficial Effects Of Acute Exercise Research Articles

Acute Exercise Effect on Neurocognitive Function Among Cognitively Normal Late-Middle-Aged Adults With/Without Genetic Risk of AD: The Moderating Role of Exercise Volume and APOE Genotype.

Acute exercise is a behavior that benefits cognitive function; however, its effect on populations with different risks for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the role of exercise variance and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on this effect remains unknown. This study explores the acute exercise effect on behavioral and neurocognitive function, and its potential moderation by exercise intensity and duration and APOE genetic risk. Fifty-one cognitively normal adults (~36% APOE ε4 carriers) performed the Stroop task under a rest condition and 3 exercise conditions while electroencephalographic activity was assessed. Acute exercise improved cognitive performance assessed through both behavioral and neuroelectrical indices. These benefits were observed regardless of adjustments of intensity and duration at a predetermined exercise volume as well as being evident irrespective of APOE ɛ4 carrier status. Acute exercise could be proposed as a lifestyle intervention to benefit neurocognitive function in populations with and without genetic risk of AD. Future exploration should further the precise exercise prescription and also the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of acute exercise for neurocognitive function. NCT05591313.

Effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on executive function in children with preterm birth: A randomized crossover study

BackgroundAcute exercise appears to promote executive function (EF) in children. However, the effect of acute exercise on EF in children with preterm birth (PB) remains unclear. ObjectiveTo investigate whether acute moderate-intensity exercise improves EF in children with PB. MethodsTwenty child participants with PB (age = 10.95 ± 1.19 years, birth age = 31.71 ± 3.64 weeks) completed exercise and control sessions in a randomized crossover design. In the exercise session, participants completed a 30-minute period of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. In the control session, participants watched a video for appropriately 30 min. Following each session immediately, inhibitory control, an aspect of EF, was assessed with the Numerical Stroop task. ResultsResponse time (RT) for the Stroop's incongruent condition was shorter after the exercise session than after the control session. However, no differences were observed in RT for the congruent condition. Accuracy rate (ACC) in both congruent and incongruent conditions did not differ between exercise and control session. ConclusionThe findings support the beneficial effect of acute exercise on executive function (EF) in children with PB, particularly in terms of improving inhibitory control.

Effect of acute exercise on cognitive flexibility: Role of baseline cognitive performance

A wealth of evidence has shown that acute aerobic exercise can enhance executive function. However, empirical evidence lacks consensus regarding whether acute aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on cognitive flexibility when individual baseline cognitive differences are considered. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the effects of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) on cognitive flexibility in young adults with differences in baseline cognitive performance. One hundred and ten college students (mean age = 20.17 ± 1.15 years) were divided into lower-performers (n = 55) and higher-performers (n = 55) groups based on their cognitive performance on the pre-test of the first cognitive flexibility test. Both groups were asked to complete a more-odd shifting task, which assesses cognitive flexibility, before and approximately 5 min after a 20 min HIIE session, a 20 min MICE session, and a reading control session. The results showed that individuals with lower baseline cognitive performance gained greater cognitive flexibility benefits from the 20 min HIIE and the 20 min MICE, whereas those with higher baseline cognitive performance had improved cognitive flexibility only from the 20 min HIIE. These findings indicate that baseline cognitive performance is a variable that influences the beneficial effects of acute exercise on cognitive flexibility. We recommend that young adults should consider their individual cognitive capacity when adopting effective and appropriate exercise modalities to improve cognitive performance.

Effects of acute exercise on emotional memory

ABSTRACT Research has demonstrated beneficial effects of acute exercise on memory for neutral materials, such as word lists of neutral valence/low arousal. However, the impacts of exercise on emotional memory is less understood. Across three laboratory experiments in college students, we tested if acute exercise could enhance both neutral and emotional memory performance, anticipating a greater effect for emotional memory. We examined effects of exercise at varying intensities (Experiment 1: high-intensity; Experiment 2: low- and high-intensity; Experiment 3: moderate-intensity), of diverse modalities (Experiment 1: treadmill jogging; Experiment 2: cycling; Experiment 3: open-skill (racquetball) and closed-skill (treadmill jogging) exercise), and on emotional memory performance assessed at increasing levels of hippocampal dependency (Experiment 1: Y/N recognition task; Experiment 2: paired-associative recognition task; Experiment 3: cued-recall task). We found that, in all experiments, acute exercise did not significantly influence emotional or neutral memory performance relative to sedentary control conditions. However, we observed several noteworthy outcomes indicating that acute exercise may be linked to improvements in memory confidence and accuracy for central aspects of emotional memory stimuli, and that select exercise modalities (e.g. treadmill exercise) may also be associated with increased frequency of memory intrusions.

Shedding Light on the Effects of Moderate Acute Exercise on Working Memory Performance in Healthy Older Adults: An fNIRS Study.

Numerous studies have reported the beneficial effects of acute exercise on executive functions. Less is known, however, about the effects of exercise on working memory as one subcomponent of executive functions and about its effects on older adults. We investigated the effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on working memory performance, the respective cortical hemodynamic activation patterns, and the development and persistence of such effects in healthy older adults. Forty-four participants (M: 69.18 years ± 3.92; 21 females) performed a letter 2-back task before and at three time points after (post 15 min, post 30 min, and post 45 min) either listening to an audiobook or exercising (15 min; 50% VO2-peak). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to assess cortical hemodynamic activation and brain-behavior correlations in the fronto-parietal working memory network. Overall, we found no group differences for working memory performance. However, only within the experimental group, 2-back performance was enhanced 15 min and 45 min post-exercise. Furthermore, 15 min post-exercise frontal activation predicted working memory performance, regardless of group. In sum, our results indicate slight beneficial effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on working memory performance in healthy older adults. Findings are discussed in light of the cognitive aging process and moderators affecting the exercise-cognition relationship.

Does Cardiorespiratory Fitness Influence the Effect of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Executive Function?

BackgroundThe beneficial effects of acute exercise on executive function have been well-documented, but the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on this effect requires further investigations, especially using imaging technique. This study aimed to examine the effects of cardiorespiratory fitness on acute exercise-induced changes on behavioral performance and on functional brain activation.MethodBased on their cardiorespiratory fitness level, 62 participants ranked in the top and bottom of the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) were finally selected and allocated to high-fit group or low-fit group. Both groups were asked to complete the Stroop task after 30 min of aerobic exercise and chair-seated rest (control session). Among them, 26 participants were randomly selected and asked to undergo the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).ResultsBehavioral results showed that individuals responded significantly faster after exercise than those in the control session. The fMRI results revealed a significant interaction effects of Group by Session in brain regions including anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). For the ACC, activation in the high-fit group was significantly decreased after aerobic exercise compared to those in the control session; whereas an increased activation was noticed in the low-fit group. Regarding to the bilateral DLPFC, activation in high-fit group was significantly decreased after exercise compared to those in the control session, while no significant differences were found in the low-fit group. In addition, for the post-exercise session, a significant positive correlations between activation of the ACC and left DLPFC in the high-fit group was observed. There was a significant negative correlation between activation of the ACC and reaction time in the congruent condition after exercise in the low-fit group.ConclusionFindings further clarify the neurophysiological processes of acute exercise-induced changes in cognitive performance as they suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness is an important factor which influences changes in brain activation patterns in response to acute aerobic exercises.

Aerobic exercise enhances positive emotional reactivity in individuals with depressive symptoms: Evidence from neural responses to reward and emotional content

Reward sensitivity and emotional reactivity have been identified as two candidate mechanisms of anhedonia in depression. There is a paucity of research examining whether deficits in reward sensitivity and emotional reactivity can be modified through brief, behavioral interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the reward positivity (RewP) and late positive potential (LPP) among individuals reporting variable symptoms of depression. Using a within-subjects design, 66 young adults completed a 30-min session of aerobic exercise and seated rest on separate days. Reward sensitivity and emotional reactivity were assessed following each session using the RewP and LPP event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Results indicated that the LPP to positive stimuli was potentiated following exercise, while no effect on RewP was observed. Notably, individuals who experienced greater emotional reactivity to positive stimuli following exercise also exhibited increased sensitivity to rewards. Depressive symptom severity failed to moderate any effects, suggesting beneficial effects of acute exercise on positive emotional reactivity across depressive symptom profiles. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise increases emotional engagement to positive stimuli, which may have implications for resolving deficits in emotional reactivity to positive content in depression.

A preliminary investigation of acute exercise intensity on memory and BDNF isoform concentrations

Little is known about the biological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of acute exercise on memory or the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on this effect. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a putative biological mechanism, and while findings from human studies are equivocal, they have neglected to assess how exercise affects individual BDNF isoform (proBDNF, mBDNF) concentrations in serum or the influence of the BDNF val66met SNP on BDNF isoform concentrations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct an exploratory assessment of the effect of acute exercise intensity on memory performance and BDNF isoform concentrations relative to carrier status of the BDNF val66met SNP met allele and to provide guidance for future, fully-powered trials. Memory and BDNF isoform concentrations were assessed in three exercise groups (light intensity, vigorous intensity, and non-exercise) relative to BDNF met carrier status. Analyses revealed that BDNF isoform concentrations and memory were differentially affected by exercise intensity and BDNF met carrier status. Vigorous intensity exercise increased mBDNF, and BDNF met carriers had lower mBDNF concentration. Light intensity exercise improved memory, and over 24 h, memory was worse for BDNF met carriers. Implications from this work will help direct future mechanistic studies of the exercise-memory relationship.

High-Intensity Acute Exercise and Directed Forgetting on Memory Function.

Background and Objectives: Despite accumulating research demonstrating that acute exercise may enhance memory function, very little research has evaluated whether acute exercise can effectuate intentional directed forgetting (DF), an adaptative strategy to facilitate subsequent memory performance. Materials and Methods: A three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled intervention was employed. Participants were randomized into one of three groups, including: (1) exercise plus DF (Ex + DF), (2) DF (directed forgetting) only (DF) and (3) R (remember) only (R). The acute bout of exercise included 15 min of high-intensity treadmill exercise. The memory assessment involved the presentation of two-word lists. After encoding the first word list, participants were either instructed to forget all of those words (DF) or to remember them. Following this, participants encoded the second word list. Results: We observed a statistically significant main effect for list F(1, 57) = 12.27, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.18, but no main effect for group F(2, 57) = 1.32, p = 0.27, η2p = 0.04, or list by group interaction, F(2, 57) = 2.89, p = 0.06, η2p = 0.09. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a directed forgetting effect in that cueing an individual to forget a previously encoded list of items facilitates memory performance on a subsequent list of items. However, we failed to demonstrate any beneficial effect of acute exercise in facilitating directed forgetting. These findings are discussed in the context of directed forgetting theories, particularly the attention inhibition mechanism, as well as the timing of the acute bout of exercise.

Optimizing mental health benefits of exercise: The influence of the exercise environment on acute stress levels and wellbeing

Previous studies indicated that exercising in natural settings could have more positive mental health effects than other types of exercise. This article further investigates the role of different exercise environment characteristics and compares effects of indoor and outdoor exercise sessions on acute wellbeing and stress levels. A field study with N = 140 collegiate sports participants was conducted. Mood, state stress and state anxiety as well as perceived exercise intensity and the naturalness and calmness of the exercise environment were assessed by means of questionnaires immediately before and after engagement in an indoor or an outdoor exercise session. Results strongly support previous evidence on the beneficial effects of acute exercise on wellbeing and stress levels. Engagement in outdoor exercise did not per se lead to more beneficial changes than engagement in exercise sessions indoors. However, outdoor exercise environments were perceived as more calming and exercise sessions in more calming environments were associated with more stress-reductive effects. Thus, future studies should further investigate the impact of exercise environment characteristics as this could help to maximize beneficial preventive health effects of physical exercise.

The effects of acute exercise on episodic memory function among young university students: moderation considerations by biological sex.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate potential sex-specific differences on episodic memory function and determine whether sex moderates the effects of acute exercise on episodic memory.Methods: A randomized controlled intervention was employed. This experiment was conducted among young University students (mean age = 21 years). Both males (n=20) and females (n=20)completed two counterbalanced laboratory visits, with one visit involving a 15-minute bout of moderate-intensity exercise prior to the memory task. The control visit engaged in a time matched seated task. Memory function (including short-term memory, learning, and long-term memory) was assessed from the RAVLT (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test).Results: We observed a significant main effect for time (P<0.001, ƞ2p= 0.77) and a marginally significant main effect for sex (P=0.06, ƞ2p= 0.09), but no time by sex by condition interaction(P=0.91, ƞ2p= 0.01). We also observed some suggestive evidence of a more beneficial effect of acute exercise on memory for females. Conclusion: In conclusion, females outperformed males in verbal memory function. Additional research is needed to further evaluate whether sex moderates the effects of acute exercise on memory function.

The Beneficial Effect of Acute Exercise on Motor Memory Consolidation is Modulated by Dopaminergic Gene Profile.

When aerobic exercise is performed following skilled motor practice, it can enhance motor memory consolidation. Previous studies have suggested that dopamine may play a role in motor memory consolidation, but whether it is involved in the exercise effects on consolidation is unknown. Hence, we aimed to investigate the influence of dopaminergic pathways on the exercise-induced modulation of motor memory consolidation. We compared the effect of acute exercise on motor memory consolidation between the genotypes that are known to affect dopaminergic transmission and learning. By combining cluster analyses and fitting linear models with and without included polymorphisms, we provide preliminary evidence that exercise benefits the carriers of alleles that are associated with low synaptic dopamine content. In line with previous reports, our findings implicate dopamine as a modulator of the exercise-induced effects on motor memory consolidation, and suggest exercise as a potential clinical tool to counteract low endogenous dopamine bioavailability. Further experiments are needed to establish causal relations.

Semantic Memory Activation After Acute Exercise in Healthy Older Adults.

A growing body of research suggests that regular participation in long-term exercise is associated with enhanced cognitive function. However, less is known about the beneficial effects of acute exercise on semantic memory. This study investigated brain activation during a semantic memory task after a single session of exercise in healthy older adults using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using a within-subjects counterbalanced design, 26 participants (ages, 55-85 years) underwent two experimental visits on separate days. During each visit, participants engaged in 30 min of rest or stationary cycling exercise immediately before performing a Famous and Non-Famous name discrimination task during fMRI scanning. Acute exercise was associated with significantly greater semantic memory activation (Famous&gt;Non-Famous) in the middle frontal, inferior temporal, middle temporal, and fusiform gyri. A planned comparison additionally showed significantly greater activation in the bilateral hippocampus after exercise compared to rest. These effects were confined to correct trials, and as expected, there were no differences between conditions in response time or accuracy. Greater brain activation following a single session of exercise suggests that exercise may increase neural processes underlying semantic memory activation in healthy older adults. These effects were localized to the known semantic memory network, and thus do not appear to reflect a general or widespread increase in brain blood flow. Coupled with our prior exercise training effects on semantic memory-related activation, these data suggest the acute increase in neural activation after exercise may provide a stimulus for adaptation over repeated exercise sessions. (JINS, 2019, 25, 557-568).

Beneficial Effects of Acute Exercise on Executive Function in Adolescents.

Background: Evidence supports that a single session of exercise has benefits for cognitive performance following exercise. Although the vast majority of research has been conducted with young adults, very few studies to date have tested these effects in adolescents (high school aged students). As executive function (EF) develops through late adolescence and into young adulthood, it is important to assess the extent to which acute exercise benefits EF in adolescents. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the effect of moderate-intensity acute exercise on subsequent EF performance in this population. Methods: Healthy high school students (N = 22; age: 15.90 [0.29]y) volunteered to participate in the study. Using a within-subjects design with order of conditions randomized and counterbalanced, participants performed the Stroop Test, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and the Tower of London Test following control and following exercise with sessions performed on different days. Results: Exercise resulted in significant benefits for Stroop Color, Stroop Color-Word tests, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Tower of London total moves, and Tower of London total excess moves. Conclusions: These results provide an important extension to the literature by confirming that 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise benefits EF performance in high school students.

Exercise and Implicit Memory: A Brief Systematic Review.

Emerging work demonstrates that acute exercise may enhance explicit memory function. No published systematic reviews have evaluated the totality of research examining the effects of exercise on implicit memory function, which was the purpose of this systematic review. Databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, and Sports Discus) were searched to evaluate animal and human experimental studies evaluating the effects of exercise on implicit memory function. Among the 10 evaluated studies that met inclusionary criteria for this systematic review, 7 were conducted in animal models (rats or mice), with 3 utilizing human samples. Among the seven animal model studies, all employed a fear conditioning paradigm to evaluate implicit memory performance. All six animal studies employing a chronic exercise paradigm demonstrated evidence for associations between chronic exercise and enhanced fear conditioning. The one animal study evaluating a high-intensity acute bout of exercise showed that high-intensity acute exercise worsened implicit memory retrieval. Among the three human studies, one demonstrated a beneficial effect of acute exercise on implicit memory function. There is consistent evidence in animal models that chronic exercise enhances implicit memory, as assessed by fear conditioning. However, there have been too few human studies investigating this topic to render any meaningful conclusions regarding the relationship between exercise and cognitive-based implicit memory among humans.

Acute Exercise and Neurocognitive Development in Preadolescents and Young Adults: An ERP Study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a single bout of exercise on neurocognitive function in preadolescent children and young adults by determining the modulatory role of age and the neuroelectrical mechanism(s) underlying the association between acute exercise and executive function. Twenty preadolescents and 20 young adults completed the Stroop test, and neuroelectrical activity was recorded during two treatment sessions performed in a counterbalanced order. Exercise treatments involved moderate intensity aerobic exercise for 20 min as the main exercise and two 5 min periods of warm-up and cool-down. The control treatment participants read for a similar duration of time. Acute exercise improved participant reaction times on the Stroop test, regardless of Stroop congruency, and greater beneficial effects were observed in young adults compared to those in preadolescents. The P3 amplitudes increased after acute exercise in preadolescents and young adults, but acute exercise induced lower conflict sustained potential (conflict SP) amplitudes in preadolescent children. Based on these findings, age influences the beneficial effect of acute exercise on cognitive performance in general. Furthermore, the event-related brain potential differences attributed to acute exercise provide a potential clue to the mechanisms that differentiate the effects of acute exercise on individuals from preadolescence to young adulthood.

Cognitive function at rest and during exercise following breakfast omission

It has been suggested that breakfast omission, as opposed to breakfast consumption, has the detrimental effects on cognitive function. However, the effects of acute exercise following breakfast omission on cognitive function are poorly understood, particularly during exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the interactive effects of breakfast and exercise on cognitive function. Ten participants completed cognitive tasks at rest and during exercise in the breakfast consumption or omission conditions. Blood glucose concentration was measured immediately after each cognitive task. We used cognitive tasks to assess working memory [Spatial Delayed Response (DR) task] and executive function [Go/No-Go (GNG) task]. The participants cycled ergometer for 30min while keeping their heart rate at 140beats·min−1. Accuracy of the GNG task was lower at rest in the breakfast omission condition than that in the breakfast consumption condition (Go trial: P=0.012; No-Go trial: P=0.028). However, exercise improved accuracy of the Go trial in the breakfast omission condition (P=0.013). Reaction time in the Go trial decreased during exercise relative to rest in both conditions (P=0.002), and the degree of decreases in reaction time was not different between conditions (P=0.448). Exercise and breakfast did not affect the accuracy of the Spatial DR task. The present results indicate that breakfast omission impairs executive function, but acute exercise improved executive function even after breakfast omission. It appears that beneficial effects of acute exercise on cognitive function are intact following breakfast omission.

The cortisol response to exercise in young adults.

The cortisol response to exercise in young adults.

Effect of acute exercise and cardiovascular fitness on cognitive function: an event-related cortical desynchronization study.

This study aimed to clarify the effects of acute exercise and cardiovascular fitness on cognitive function using the Stroop test and event-related desynchronization (ERD) in an aged population. Old adults (63.10 ± 2.89 years) were first assigned to either a high-fitness or a low-fitness group, and they were then subjected to an acute exercise treatment and a reading control treatment in a counterbalanced order. Alpha ERD was recorded during the Stroop test, which was administered after both treatments. Acute exercise improved cognitive performance regardless of the level of cognition, and old adults with higher fitness levels received greater benefits from acute exercise. Additionally, acute exercise, rather than overall fitness, elicited greater lower and upper alpha ERDs relative to the control condition. These findings indirectly suggest that the beneficial effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance may result from exercise-induced attentional control observed during frontal neural excitation.

Acute exercise prevents the development of neuropathic pain and the sprouting of non-peptidergic (GDNF- and artemin-responsive) c-fibers after spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) impaired sensory fiber transmission leads to chronic, debilitating neuropathic pain. Sensory afferents are responsive to neurotrophic factors, molecules that are known to promote survival and maintenance of neurons, and regulate sensory neuron transduction of peripheral stimuli. A subset of primary afferent fibers responds only to the glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of ligands (GFLs) and is non-peptidergic. In peripheral nerve injury models, restoration of GDNF or artemin (another GFL) to pre-injury levels within the spinal cord attenuates neuropathic pain. One non-invasive approach to increase the levels of GFLs in the spinal cord is through exercise (Ex), and to date exercise training is the only ameliorative, non-pharmacological treatment for SCI-induced neuropathic pain. The purpose of this study was 3-fold: 1) to determine whether exercise affects the onset of SCI-induced neuropathic pain; 2) to examine the temporal profile of GDNF and artemin in the dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord dorsal horn regions associated with forepaw dermatomes after SCI and Ex; and 3) to characterize GFL-responsive sensory fiber plasticity after SCI and Ex. Adult, female, Sprague–Dawley rats received a moderate, unilateral spinal cord contusion at C5. A subset of rats was exercised (SCI+Ex) on automated running wheels for 20min, 5days/week starting at 5days post-injury (dpi), continuing until 9 or 37dpi. Hargreaves' and von Frey testing was performed preoperatively and weekly post-SCI. Forty-two percent of rats in the unexercised group exhibited tactile allodynia of the forepaws while the other 58% retained normal sensation. The development of SCI-induced neuropathic pain correlated with a marked decrease in the levels of GDNF and artemin in the spinal cord and DRGs. Additionally, a dramatic increase in the density and the distribution throughout the dorsal horn of GFL-responsive afferents was observed in rats with SCI-induced allodynia. Importantly, in SCI rats that received Ex, the incidence of tactile allodynia decreased to 7% (1/17) and there was maintenance of GDNF and artemin at normal levels, with a normal distribution of GFL-responsive fibers. These data suggest that GFLs and/or their downstream effectors may be important modulators of pain fiber plasticity, representing effective targets for anti-allodynic therapeutics. Furthermore, we highlight the potent beneficial effects of acute exercise after SCI.