Exercise and cognitive function: a randomized controlled trial examining acute exercise and free-living physical activity and sedentary effects.
OBJECTIVE
To simultaneously examine the effects of acute exercise intensity and free-living physical activity and sedentary behavior on cognitive function in young, healthy adults.


METHODS
Using a counterbalanced, crossover, randomized controlled design, 87 young adults (mean age, 21.4 years) completed various cognitive assessments with and without an acute bout of exercise preceding the assessment. Participants were randomized into 1 of 4 groups to complete a 30-minute bout of acute exercise: control (no exercise), light intensity (40%-50% of predicted maximum heart rate [HR(max)]), moderate intensity (51%-70% of predicted HR(max)), or vigorous intensity (71%-85% of predicted HR(max)). Subjectively and objectively determined (accelerometry) physical activity and sedentary behavior were assessed to examine the association between these free-living behaviors and cognitive function. The study duration was August 26, 2013, to September 11, 2014.


RESULTS
Concentration-related cognition (mean ± SD Feature Match test score) was significantly higher after a 30-minute acute bout of moderate-intensity exercise (145.1±26.9) compared with cognitive assessment without exercise (121.3±19.2; P=.004). Furthermore, questionnaire-determined sedentary behavior was inversely associated with visual attention and task switching (Trail Making Test A score) (β=-0.23; P=.04). Last, estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (volume of maximum oxygen consumption) was positively associated with reasoning-related cognitive function (Odd One Out test score) (β=0.49; P=.05); when adding metabolic equivalent of task minutes per week to this model, the results were not significant (β=0.47; P=.07).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide some support for acute moderate-intensity exercise, sedentary behavior, and cardiorespiratory fitness being associated with executive functioning-related cognitive function in young, healthy adults.
Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, School of Applied Sciences, Center for Health Behavior Research, The University of Mississippi, University. Electronic address: pdloprin@olemiss.edu.
Paul D
PD
Loprinzi
Department of Respiratory Therapy, Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY.
Christy J
CJ
Kane
D061725:Accelerometry; D000339:Affect; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D055815:Young Adult