Single Session Of Aerobic Exercise Research Articles

Effects of menstrual cycle on cognitive function, cortisol, and metabolism after a single session of aerobic exercise

Aim This study aimed to investigate the effects of the two pre-ovulatory and mid-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle on cognitive function, as well as possible mediators of metabolism and salivary cortisol, at rest and after an aerobic exercise session. Study design Twelve active young unmarried women aged 22–30 years volunteered to participate in the study. The participants performed a 20-min exercise session on a cycle ergometer at 60–70% of their reserve heart rate twice, during the follicular (pre-ovulation: days 7–10) and luteal (mid-luteal: days 21–24) phases of the menstrual cycle. Saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol. Fat utilization, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and energy expenditure (during exercise) were measured using a spiroergometer. Cognitive function was assessed using the Stroop test. Cognitive function and cortisol levels were measured before and after each exercise session. Results The findings of this study indicated no significant differences in variables during the resting follicular and luteal phases. Cortisol levels and cognitive function were increased after exercise compared with before exercise in both the follicular and luteal phases. Cortisol and fat utilization after exercise were significantly higher in the follicular phase than in the luteal phase. There were no significant differences between the follicular and luteal phasesregarding the effects of exercise on cognitive function, energy expenditure, and RER. Conclusion In general, the follicular and luteal phases of menstruation may not affect cognitive function in response to a single aerobic exercise session, although they change some metabolic factors and cortisol.

O93 BRIGHT LIGHT EXPOSURE ATTENUATES BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION POSTEXERCISE

Background and objective: A single session of aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure (BP), known as postexercise hypotension (PEH). Bright light (BL) exposure increases BP at rest compared to dim light (DL). However, whether BL exposure can attenuate PEH remains unknown, and this hypothesis was tested in the current study. Methods: Twenty healthy men (27±5 years) underwent two experimental sessions: one under BL (5000 lux) and another under dim light (DL ≤8 lux), performed in random order. In each session, subjects executed an aerobic exercise session on a cycle ergometer for 30 min at 50-60-% heart rate (HR) reserve. BP (oscillometric) and HR (HR monitor) were measured, and rate-pressure-product (RPP) was calculated (systolic BP * HR) pre- and postexercise. Additionally, subjects wore an ambulatory BP monitor (ABPM) for 24 hours after postexercise measurements. Results: Systolic BP decreased similarly postexercise in both sessions, but its levels were higher in BL than DL throughout the experimental session (Figure 1A). Diastolic and mean BPs decreased postexercise only in DL at 30 min, while they increased in BL at 60 and 90 min (Figure 1B and 1C, respectively). HR and RPP increased in both sessions postexercise, but RPP levels were higher throughout the experimental session in BL than DL (Figure 1D and 1E, respectively) and for the first three hours of ABPM. Conclusions: In healthy adult men, BL exposure increased systolic BP and cardiac work and attenuated PEH on diastolic and mean BPs.

Acute effects of exercise on gaze fixation and affective response inhibition in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized cross-over study.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show impairments in response inhibition, especially in socio-emotional contexts. A single aerobic exercise session has the potential to temporarily reduce such impairments as findings from neurotypical children support acute benefits of this exercise type for inhibitory control and emotion recognition. In children with ASD, we therefore aimed to investigate the effects of an aerobic exercise bout on response inhibition in an emotional Go/NoGo task and gaze fixation as possible mechanism underlying changes in performance. Using a cross-over design, 29 patients completed a 20-min aerobic exercise bout at moderate intensity on a cycling ergometer and a control condition in a randomized order. An emotional Go/NoGo task was administered before and after both experimental conditions. Eye-tracking was performed during the cognitive task to assess the duration of gaze fixation of eyes and mouth parts of faces expressing happy or sad emotions. The results support no beneficial effect of exercise on performance on the emotional Go/NoGo task. Instead, patients showed a greater decrease in accuracy on Go trials displaying happy faces in the exercise compared to the control condition. This change was associated with a more pronounced decrease in the fixation duration of the eyes for faces expressing either happy or sad emotions. In conclusion, while a single session of moderately intense aerobic exercise does not affect response inhibition, it temporarily aggravates ASD-specific deficits in the processing of and response to facial emotions.

Bright light increases blood pressure and rate-pressure product after a single session of aerobic exercise in men.

This study aimed to test whether bright light (BL) exposure attenuates the reduction in blood pressure (BP) postexercise compared to dim light (DL). Twenty healthy men (27 ± 5 years) randomly underwent two experimental sessions: one under BL (5000 lux) and another under dim light (DL <8lux). In each session, subjects executed a bout of aerobic exercise (cycle ergometer, 30 min, moderate intensity). BP (oscillometric) and heart rate (HR monitor) were measured, and rate-pressure-product (RPP) was calculated. Additionally, a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was conducted after the sessions. Systolic BP decreased while HR increased significantly and similarly after the exercise in both sessions. Additionally, systolic BP levels were higher in BL than DL throughout the experimental session (Psession = 0.04). Diastolic (Pinteraction = 0.02) and mean (Pinteraction = 0.03) BPs decreased after exercise in DL (at 30 min), and increased in BL (at 60 and 90 min). RPP increased in both sessions postexercise, but with a main effect revealing higher levels throughout the experimental session in BL than DL (Psession = 0.04) and during the first 3 h of ABPM (p = 0.05). In healthy men, BL exposure increased systolic BP and cardiac work, and abolished the postexercise decreases of diastolic and mean BPs.

Does acute aerobic exercise enhance selective attention, working memory, and problem-solving abilities in Alzheimer's patients? A sex-based comparative study.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of acute aerobic exercise on certain cognitive functions known to be affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), with a particular emphasis on sex differences. A total of 53 patients, with a mean age of 70.54 ± 0.88 years and moderate AD, voluntarily participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (EG), which participated in a 20-min moderate-intensity cycling session (60% of the individual maximum target heart rate recorded at the end of the 6-min walk test); and the control group (CG), which participated in a 20-min reading activity. Cognitive abilities were assessed before and after the physical exercise or reading session using the Stroop test for selective attention, the forward and backward digit span test for working memory, and the Tower of Hanoi task for problem-solving abilities. At baseline, both groups had comparable cognitive performance (p > 0.05 in all tests). Regardless of sex, aerobic acute exercise improved attention in the Stroop test (p < 0.001), enhanced memory performance in both forward (p < 0.001) and backward (p < 0.001) conditions, and reduced the time required to solve the problem in the Tower of Hanoi task (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the number of movements. In contrast, the CG did not significantly improve after the reading session for any of the cognitive tasks (p > 0.05). Consequently, the EG recorded greater performance improvements than the CG in most cognitive tasks tested (p < 0.0001) after the intervention session. These findings demonstrate that, irrespective to sex, a single aerobic exercise session on an ergocycle can improve cognitive function in patients with moderate AD. The results suggest that acute aerobic exercise enhances cognitive function similarly in both female and male patients, indicating promising directions for inclusive therapeutic strategies.

Effects of chronic inspiratory muscle strength training on metabolic and cardiovascular measures during a glucose tolerance test

Previous work has shown that both a single session of aerobic exercise and chronic exercise training improve glucose homeostasis. Similarly, a single bout of inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) has been shown to facilitate a greater degree of glycemic control. However, less is known about the chronic effects of IMST, particularly with respect to metabolic and cardiovascular responses to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). We hypothesized that 6 weeks of IMST would promote a greater degree of glycemic control, via a reduction in fasting and peak glucose during an OGTT. To test this hypothesis, participants (n=14, 57% female, average age=21.9) completed 6 weeks of daily training at either 15% (n=7) or 75% (n=7) of their maximal inspiratory pressure. Each subject underwent a pre-IMST glucose tolerance test in which their blood glucose level, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured at baseline, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes following glucose ingestion. A post-IMST glucose tolerance test was completed after 6 weeks of training. The results indicate no training effect on baseline glucose, peak glucose, 90-minutes post-glucose, or glucose area under the curve responses, for both training intensities (P&gt;0.05). There was no significant effect of IMST on heart rate, nor was heart rate altered during the OGTT (P&gt;0.5). While mean arterial pressure was not affected during the OGTT (P&gt;0.05), baseline mean arterial pressure decreased in the 75% intensity group only (P=0.012). In summary, 6 weeks of high-intensity IMST decreases baseline blood pressure, and glucose tolerance was unaffected in both training groups. Future studies should investigate the effects of chronic IMST on other metabolic measures (e.g. lipids, triglycerides, and/or cholesterol levels) and the impact that this training has on glucose homeostasis in clinical populations. This work was supported by the Alma College CORE Summer Research Program. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Effects of acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive function in E-athletes: A randomized controlled trial.

E-sports require athletes to have high-speed reflexes and excellent memory skills. Whereas a single session of aerobic exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, this paper aims is to investigate the effects of acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the cognitive function of e-sports players and its time-course characteristics. Thirty-four E-athletes were divided into 2 groups according to a random number table method, and 2 trials in a quiet physical fitness gym. The duration of each trial was approximately 1 hour. In the first trial: exercise group (64-76% of maximum heart rate for 30 minutes power cycling) and control group, cognitive function was tested, and results were automatically recorded before, immediately after, and 30 minutes after exercise using the human benchmark website (https://humanbenchmark.com). The second trial crossed and swapped the interventions of the 2 groups, and the other test protocols were the same as the first. In both trials, the exercise intervention group showed significant improvements in speed accuracy (P < .001, Cohen's d = 1.406, 95% CI: 0.717-2.072; P = .005, Cohen's d = 0.782, 95% CI: 0.227-1.319), visual memory (P < .001, Cohen's d = 1.416, 95% CI: 0.725-2.086; P = .015, Cohen's d = 0.662, 95% CI: 0.127-1.181), and reaction time (P < .001, Cohen's d = 1.265, 95% CI: 0.610-1.898; P<.001, Cohen's d = 0.979, 95% CI: 0.386-1.551) immediately after exercise compared to baseline. The exercise intervention group also showed significant improvement in speed accuracy 30 minutes after exercise compared to baseline (P = .002 Cohen's d = 0.869, 95% CI: 0.298-1.421; P = .009, Cohen's d = 0.722, 95% CI: 0.177-1.249). In the first trial, the exercise intervention group showed significant improvements in visual memory and reaction time immediately after exercise compared to the control group (P = .013, Cohen's d = 0.904, 95% CI: 0.190-1.605; P = .027, Cohen's d = 0.796, 95% CI: 0.090-1.490). The exercise intervention group also showed significant improvement in reaction time 30 minutes after exercise compared to baseline (P = .009, Cohen's d = 0.719, 95% CI: 0.174-1.246). There was no effect of exercise on sequence memory or the chimp test in both trials (P > .05). Sequence effect analysis showed no influence on the order of the exercise intervention in both trials (P = .912; P = .111; P = .226). Acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise significantly enhanced the speed accuracy, visual reaction time, and instantaneous memory of eSports players, and the effect could be extended up to 30 minutes after exercise.

O.2.1-6 Effects of test modality and testing site on exercise-induced hypoalgesia in healthy human males: a protocol

Abstract Background A single session of physical exercise can acutely reduce experimental pain—a phenomenon known as exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). There is inconsistency in the literature as to (1) whether EIH differentially impact the perception of different types of nociceptive stimuli (e.g., pressure versus thermal stimuli) and (2) whether exercise selectively modulates pain at exercising body parts, or also involves non-exercising body parts. Purpose We aim to characterize the effects of a single session of aerobic exercise on the sensitivity to stimuli activating skin versus muscle nociceptors, within or outside exercising body parts. Methods We will recruit 40 healthy male participants aged 18-30 years. First, we will familiarize them with the sensory assessments and conduct a maximal cycling test. Then, we will assess, in two sessions, the sensitivity to blunt pressure, mechanical pinprick, contact heat and cold, and auditory stimuli before and after a cycling exercise versus a control session. Sensory testing will be performed over the rectus femoris muscle of the dominant leg (local site) and over the flexor muscles of the non-dominant forearm (remote site). EIH will be quantified as the absolute and relative changes in sensitivity to the sensory stimuli before and after exercise. Conclusions We hypothesize that EIH will be greater (1) in the exercise than in the control session, (2) at the local site compared with the remote site if local changes in nociceptive sensitivity contribute to EIH, and (3) when blunt pressure stimuli are used if EIH involves specific changes in sensitivity of muscle nociceptors.

Increased neural differentiation after a single session of aerobic exercise in older adults

Aging is associated with decreased cognitive function. One theory posits that this decline is in part due to multiple neural systems becoming dedifferentiated in older adults. Exercise is known to improve cognition in older adults, even after only a single session. We hypothesized that one mechanism of improvement is a redifferentiation of neural systems. We used a within-participant, cross-over design involving 2 sessions: either 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or 30 minutes of seated rest (n = 32; ages 55–81 years). Both functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Stroop performance were acquired soon after exercise and rest. We quantified neural differentiation via general heterogeneity regression. There were 3 prominent findings following the exercise. First, participants were better at reducing Stroop interference. Second, while there was greater neural differentiation within the hippocampal formation and cerebellum, there was lower neural differentiation within frontal cortices. Third, this greater neural differentiation in the cerebellum and temporal lobe was more pronounced in the older ages. These data suggest that exercise can induce greater neural differentiation in healthy aging.

Acute cycling exercise and hippocampal subfield function and microstructure in healthy older adults.

Aging is associated with deterioration in dentate gyrus (DG) and CA3, both crucial hippocampal subfields for age susceptible memory processes such as mnemonic discrimination (MD). Meanwhile, a single aerobic exercise session alters DG/CA3 function and neural activity in both rats and younger adults and can elicit short-term microstructural alterations in the hippocampus of older adults. However, our understanding of the effects of acute exercise on hippocampal subfield integrity via function and microstructure in older adults is limited. Thus, a within subject-design was employed to determine if 20-min of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise alters bilateral hippocampal subfield function and microstructure using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during an MD task (n = 35) and high angular resolution multi-shell diffusion imaging (n = 31), in healthy older adults, compared to seated rest. Following the exercise condition, participants exhibited poorer MD performance, particularly when their perception of effort was higher. Exercise was also related to lower MD-related activity within the DG/CA3 but not CA1 subfield. Finally, after controlling for whole brain gray matter diffusion, exercise was associated with lower neurite density index (NDI) within the DG/CA3. However, exercise-related differences in DG/CA3 activity and NDI were not associated with differences in MD performance. Our results suggest moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise may temporarily inhibit MD performance, and suppress DG/CA3 MD-related activity and NDI, potentially through neuroinflammatory/glial processes. However, additional studies are needed to confirm whether these short-term changes in behavior and hippocampal subfield neurophysiology are beneficial and how they might relate to long-term exercise habits.

Acute aerobic exercise benefits allocation of neural resources related to selective attention

A single session of aerobic exercise has been shown to potentially benefit subsequent performance in a wide range of cognitive tasks, but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of exercise on selective attention, a cognitive process that involves prioritized processing of a subset of available inputs over others. Twenty-four healthy participants (12 women) underwent two experimental interventions in a random, crossover, and counterbalanced design: a vigorous-intensity exercise (60–65% HRR) and a seated rest (control) condition. Before and after each protocol, participants performed a modified selective attention task that demanded attending stimuli of different spatial frequencies. Event-related magnetic fields were concurrently recorded using magnetoencephalography. The results showed that exercise, relative to the seated rest condition, reduced neural processing of unattended stimuli and increased processing of attended stimuli. The findings suggest that changes in neural processing related to selective attention may be one of the mechanisms underlying exercise-induced improvements in cognition.

Influences of Aerobic Exercise on Motor Sequence Learning and Corticomotor Excitability in People With Parkinson’s Disease

Background People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are known to have motor learning difficulties. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that a single bout of aerobic exercise (AEX) can facilitate motor learning in non-disabled adults, the same beneficial effect in PD is unknown. Furthermore, associated neuroplastic changes have not been investigated. Objectives This study aimed to determine whether a single bout of aerobic exercise (AEX) can facilitate motor sequence learning in people with PD and to investigate the associated neurophysiological changes. Methods Thirty individuals with PD were recruited and randomized into the exercise group (PD + AEX) and non-exercise group (PD − AEX). At the first visit, corticomotor excitability was assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). All participants then performed a serial reaction time task (SRTT) followed by 20 minutes of moderately-high intensity aerobic exercise (AEX) for the PD + AEX group or rest for the PD − AEX group. The SRTT and TMS were reevaluated at 3 time points: immediately after aerobic exercise (AEX) or rest, on the second day after practice (D2), and a week after practice (D7). Results Both groups showed improvement throughout practice. At retention, the PD + AEX group showed improved SRTT performance on D7 compared to D2 (P = .001), while the PD − AEX group showed no change in performance. TMS results showed that the PD + AEX group had significantly higher corticomotor excitability than the PD − AEX group on D7. Conclusion A single session of aerobic exercise (AEX) could enhance motor sequence learning and induce neuroplastic changes. Clinicians can consider providing aerobic exercise (AEX) after motor task training for people with PD. Clinical registration: NCT04189887 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Motor cortex plasticity is greater in endurance-trained cyclists following acute exercise.

Previous research using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has shown that plasticity within primary motor cortex (M1) is greater in people who undertake regular exercise, and a single session of aerobic exercise can increase M1 plasticity in untrained participants. This study aimed to examine the effect of an acute bout of exercise on M1 plasticity in endurance-trained (cyclists) and untrained individuals. Fourteen endurance-trained cyclists (mean ± SD; 23 ± 3.8 yr) and 14 untrained individuals (22 ± 1.8 yr) performed two experimental sessions. One session included an acute bout of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise involving stationary cycling, whereas another session involved no-exercise (control). Following exercise (or control), I-wave periodicity repetitive TMS (iTMS) was used (1.5-ms interval, 180 pairs) to induce plasticity within M1. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by single and paired-pulse TMS over M1 were recorded from a hand muscle at baseline, after HIIT (or control) exercise and after iTMS. Corticospinal and intracortical excitability was not influenced by HIIT exercise in either group (all P > 0.05). There was an increase in MEP amplitude after iTMS, and this was greater after HIIT exercise (compared with control) for all subjects (P < 0.001). However, the magnitude of this response was larger in endurance cyclists compared with the untrained group (P = 0.049). These findings indicate that M1 plasticity induced by iTMS was greater in endurance-trained cyclists following HIIT. Prior history of exercise training is, therefore, an important consideration for understanding factors that contribute to exercise-induced plasticity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We use a novel form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to show that motor cortex plasticity is increased after acute exercise and that this effect is bolstered in endurance-trained cyclists. These findings indicate that participation in regular endurance exercise (involving lower limb muscles) has widespread effects on cortical plasticity (assessed in unexercised upper limb muscles) following acute lower-limb cycling exercise. It also highlights that exercise history is an important factor in exercise-induced cortical plasticity.

Effects Of Acute Aerobic Exercise On Behavioral Pattern Separation Performance In Older Adults

PURPOSE: Ample evidence suggests moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is beneficial for hippocampal structure and function. Furthermore, recent studies in younger adults suggest a single session of aerobic exercise provides immediate benefits to behavioral pattern separation performance, a highly hippocampal-specific memory task. However, no work has explored how a single session of aerobic exercise might alter pattern separation performance in older adults, who generally exhibit deficits in pattern separation performance and hippocampal deterioration in relation to younger adults. METHODS: To address this question, we conducted a within-subject acute exercise study in 31 cognitively healthy and physically active older adults (70.1 (±6.1) years). Participants performed baseline testing and then completed two experimental day visits in counterbalanced order. On the experimental days, they performed different iterations of a behavioral pattern separation task on the computer before and after 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on a cycle ergometer or 30 minutes of quiet seated rest. Linear mixed-effects model analysis was employed in which condition order was controlled for, time (pre vs. post) and condition (exercise vs. rest) were modeled as fixed effects, and subject was modeled as a random effect. RESULTS: No significant time by condition interaction effect was found for general object recognition (F(1,31) = 1.25, p = .267, η2 = .01) and a positive, but non-significant interaction effect was found for pattern separation performance following the exercise condition (F(1,31) = 3.56, p = .062, η2 = .04). Furthermore, a post-intervention only analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between the exercise and rest condition for general object recognition (F(1,31) = 1.46, p = .236, η2 = .05), but that participants performed significantly better on the pattern separation task (F(1,31) = 8.86, p = .006, η2 = .22) following the exercise condition. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise may lead to reduced interference and better pattern separation performance in healthy older adults, suggesting immediate benefits for hippocampal-specific memory function.

Influence Of Aerobic Exercise Intensity On Post-exercise Cerebrovascular Function

Peripheral vascular function is acutely improved, in an intensity dependent manner, following a single session of aerobic exercise. While previous studies have examined the effects of acute exercise on cerebrovascular function, the influence of exercise intensity on post-exercise cerebrovascular function remains unclear. PURPOSE: To determine the influence of aerobic exercise intensity on post-exercise cerebrovascular function. METHODS: Eleven participants (age: 27 ± 4 y; VO2max = 51 ± 8 mL/kg/min; men = 4, women = 7) completed 2 study days, in a randomized order, in which they either walked at 30% VO2max for 30 min (WALK) or ran at 70% VO2max for 30 min (RUN). Cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia (CVR) was measured pre and 30 min post-exercise. Middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) were continuously monitored during the hypercapnia protocol. Cerebrovascular conductance index (CVCi) was calculated as MCAv/MAP. CVR was calculated as the slope between the percent changes in MCAv or CVCi and ETCO2. RESULTS: During WALK and RUN, there was no difference in MCAv from pre to post-exercise (p ≥ 0.05 for both), despite a significant post-exercise reduction in ETCO2 (WALK: pre = 42 ± 3 mmHg, post = 40 ± 2 mmHg; RUN: pre = 41 ± 3 mmHg, post = 40 ± 3 mmHg; p < 0.05 for both). While WALK had no significant change in MAP and CVCi from pre to post-exercise (p ≥ 0.05 for both), RUN had a significant decrease in MAP and increase in CVCi (MAP: pre = 95 ± 13 mmHg, post = 85 ± 8 mmHg; CVCi: pre = 0.67 ± 0.14 cm/s/mmHg, post = 0.80 ± 0.12 cm/s/mmHg; p < 0.05 for both). There was no significant change in MCAv CVR or CVCi CVR from pre to post-exercise for WALK (p ≥ 0.05 for both); however, there was a decline in both MCAv CVR and CVCi CVR from pre to post-exercise during RUN (MCAv CVR: pre = 1.7 ± 0.5 AU, post = 1.3 ± 0.4 AU; CVCi CVR: pre = 1.3 ± 0.5 AU, post = 0.9 ± 0.4 AU; p < 0.05 for both). Finally, there was no significant difference in the magnitude of change in MCAv CVR and CVCi CVR from pre to post-exercise between the study days (p ≥ 0.05 for both). CONCLUSION: Exercise intensity influences post-exercise cerebrovascular hemodynamics and function as RUN, but not WALK, had a significant increase in CVCi and a reduced MCAv CVR and CVCi CVR from pre to post-exercise. Supported by UW-Madison’s Fall Research Competition, NHLBI 118154

Effects of acute aerobic exercise on mnemonic discrimination performance in older adults.

Ample evidence suggests exercise is beneficial for hippocampal function. Furthermore, a single session of aerobic exercise provides immediate benefits to mnemonic discrimination performance, a highly hippocampal-specific memory process, in healthy younger adults. However, it is unknown if a single session of aerobic exercise alters mnemonic discrimination in older adults, who generally exhibit greater hippocampal deterioration and deficits in mnemonic discrimination performance. We conducted a within subject acute exercise study in 30 cognitively healthy and physically active older adults who underwent baseline testing and then completed two experimental visits in which they performed a mnemonic discrimination task before and after either 30min of cycling exercise or 30min of seated rest. Linear mixed-effects analyses were conducted in which condition order and age were controlled, time (pre vs. post) and condition (exercise vs. rest) were modeled as fixed effects, and subject as a random effect. No significant time by condition interaction effect was found for object recognition (p=.254, η2=.01), while a significant reduction in interference was found for mnemonic discrimination performance following the exercise condition (p=.012, η2=.07). A post-intervention only analysis indicated that there was no difference between condition for object recognition (p=.186, η2=.06), but that participants had better mnemonic discrimination performance (p<.001, η2=.22) following the exercise. Our results suggest a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise may reduce interference and elicit better mnemonic discrimination performance in healthy older adults, suggesting benefits for hippocampal-specific memory function.

The effects of a single aerobic exercise session on mood and neural emotional reactivity in depressed and healthy young adults: A late positive potential study.

Depression has been characterized by lowered mood and unfavorable changes in neural emotional reactivity (altered brain responses to emotional stimuli). Physical exercise is a well-established strategy to improve the mood of healthy and depressed individuals. Increasing evidence suggests that exercise might also improve emotional reactivity in healthy adults by increasing or decreasing brain responses to positive or negative stimuli, respectively. It is unknown, however, if exercise could also benefit emotional reactivity in depressed individuals. We investigated the effects of a single aerobic exercise session on mood and emotional reactivity in 24 depressed and 24 matched healthy young adults. Self-reported mood and neural reactivity to emotional pictures (indexed by the EEG late positive potential, LPP) were assessed before and after two experimental protocols: exercise (36 min of moderate-intensity exercise at 75% of maximal heart rate) and seated rest condition (36 min). In the healthy control group, exercise improved self-reported mood and neural emotional reactivity (increasing LPP to positive pictures). In the depressed group, exercise improved self-reported mood; however, it did not affect neural emotional reactivity. Additional analyses performed on both groups revealed that exercise-induced changes in emotional reactivity are associated with the severity of depressive symptoms: the effectiveness of exercise in improving emotional reactivity decreases with the severity of depressive symptoms. Overall, the study further strengthens the claim of a beneficial role of exercise on mood and emotional reactivity. It also suggests that a single aerobic exercise session might have a limited influence on neural emotional reactivity in depressed individuals.

Maintenance of plasma glucose variability after an acute session of aerobic exercise despite changes in insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 levels in type 2 diabetes.

The present study aimed to evaluate glucose variability and hormonal responses during and after an aerobic exercise session performed after breakfast in type 2 diabetes patients treated with metformin. In this quasi-experimental study individuals underwent clinical and laboratory evaluations and maximal exercise test. After two weeks an aerobic exercise session (30 minutes at 60%-70% of the peak heart rate) was performed. At rest, during and after the exercise session, glucose variability (mean amplitude glucose excursions, glucose coefficient of variation, and glucose standard deviation) and levels of plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon, and glucagon-like-peptide-1 were evaluated. Thirteen patients were enrolled in the study. Plasma glucose increased at 15 minutes during the exercise session (244.6 ± 61.9 mg/dL), and decreased at 60 min after exercise (195.6 ± 50.0 mg/dL). Glucose variability did not show any difference before and after exercise. Insulin levels at 15 min [27.1 μU/mL (14.2-42.1)] and 30 min [26.3 μU/mL (14.6-37.4)] during the exercise were higher than those at fasting [11.2 μU/mL (6.7-14.9)] but decreased 60 minutes after exercise (90 minutes) [16.6 μU/mL (8.7-31.7)]. Glucagon levels did not show any difference. GLP-1 levels increased at 30 min [7.9 pmol/L (7.1-9.2)] during exercise and decreased 60 min after exercise (90 minutes) [7.7 pmol/L (6.8-8.5)]. Subjects with type 2 diabetes presented expected changes in insulin, glucagon and GLP-1 levels after breakfast and a single aerobic exercise session, not accompanied by glycemic variability changes.

Effects of Abdominal Microcurrent in the Consumption and Proportion of Energy Substrates during Aerobic Exercise: A Pilot Study.

Microcurrent therapy can increase lipolytic activity. However, it is unknown if the increased availability of lipids can influence the selection of energy substrates during a single session of aerobic exercise. We aimed to analyze the effect of microcurrent application to the abdominal region in the consumption of lipids and carbohydrates, and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) during a single session of moderate aerobic exercise in young adults. A pilot study was conducted in which participants were allocated to intervention (IG) or placebo (PG) groups. In both groups, 40 min of microcurrent application with two frequencies (25 and 10 Hz) followed by 50 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (45–55% of heart rate reserve) on a cycloergometer were performed. The microcurrent application was performed without intensity in the PG. A portable gas analyzer (K4b2) was used during exercise in both groups. Thirty-eight participants (20.6 ± 1.8 years; 18 in IG and 20 in PG) were enrolled. There were no significant differences in the consumption of substrates or RER between the groups during exercise (p > 0.05). Microcurrent application seems to be insufficient to influence the consumption of energy substrates and RER during a single session of aerobic exercise in young adults.

Influence of Cognitive Challenges During Exercise on Post‐Exercise Cerebrovascular Function

Peripheral vascular function is acutely improved following a single session of aerobic exercise. This improvement is likely due to increased blood flow during aerobic exercise. Cognitive activity and aerobic exercise both acutely increase cerebral blood flow, and while previous studies have examined the influence of acute exercise on post‐exercise cerebrovascular function, the effects of increased cognitive activity during exercise on post‐exercise cerebrovascular function remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of increased cognitive activity during aerobic exercise on post‐exercise cerebrovascular function. We hypothesized that performing cognitive challenges during exercise would result in greater post‐exercise cerebrovascular function. METHODS: Ten participants (age: 27 ± 5 y; VO2max = 53 ± 10 mL/kg/min; men = 5, women = 5) completed 2 study days, in a randomized order, in which they either walked at 30% VO2max for 30 min (WALK) or walked at 30% VO2max for 30 min while completing N‐back cognitive tasks (WALK+COG). Cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia (CVR) was measured pre‐ and 90 min post‐exercise as a measure of cerebrovascular function. Middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and end‐tidal CO2 (ETCO2) were continuously monitored during the hypercapnia protocol. Cerebrovascular conductance index (CVCi) was calculated as MCAv/MAP. CVR was calculated as the slope between the changes in MCAv or CVCi and ETCO2. RESULTS: During WALK and WALK+COG, there was no difference in MCAv from pre‐ to post‐exercise (p ≥ 0.05 for both), despite a significant post‐exercise reduction in ETCO2 (WALK: pre = 43 ± 2 mmHg, post = 41 ± 3 mmHg; WALK+COG: pre = 41 ± 4 mmHg, post = 40 ± 3 mmHg; p &lt; 0.05 for both). While WALK had no significant change in MAP from pre‐ to post‐exercise (p = 0.10), WALK+COG had a significant increase in MAP (pre = 88 ± 18 mmHg, post = 98 ± 14 mmHg; p = 0.01). Both WALK and WALK+COG had a decrease in CVCi from pre‐ to post‐exercise (WALK: pre = 0.70 ± 0.15 cm/s/mmHg, post = 0.65 ± 0.17 cm/s/mmHg; WALK+COG: pre = 0.75 ± 0.15 cm/s/mmHg, post = 0.66 ± 0.14 cm/s/mmHg; p &lt; 0.05 for both). There was no significant change in CVR from pre‐ to post‐exercise during either study days (assessed as MCAv or CVCi; p ≥ 0.05 for both). Finally, there was no significant difference in the magnitude of change in CVR from pre‐ to post‐exercise between the study days (assessed as MCAv or CVCi; p ≥ 0.05 for both). CONCLUSION: Cognitive challenges during exercise did not influence post‐exercise cerebrovascular function. Despite this finding, cognitive challenges during walking may influence resting systemic hemodynamics, as it resulted in an increased post‐exercise MAP compared with walking alone.