Acute physical exercise improves shifting in adolescents at school: evidence for a dopaminergic contribution.
The executive function of shifting between mental sets demands cognitive flexibility. Based on evidence that physical exercise fostered cognition, we tested whether acute physical exercise can improve shifting in an unselected sample of adolescents. Genetic polymorphisms were analyzed to gain more insight into possibly contributing neurophysiological processes. We examined 297 students aged between 13 and 17 years in their schools. Physical exercise was manipulated by an intense incremental exercise condition using bicycle ergometers and a control condition which involved watching an infotainment cartoon while sitting calm. The order of conditions was counterbalanced between participants. Shifting was assessed by a switching task after both conditions. Acute intense physical exercise significantly improved shifting as indicated by reduced switch costs. Exercise-induced performance gains in switch costs were predicted by a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) targeting the Dopamine Transporter (DAT1/SLCA6A3) gene suggesting that the brain dopamine system contributed to the effect. The results demonstrate the potential of acute physical exercise to improve cognitive flexibility in adolescents. The field conditions of the present approach suggest applications in schools.
Psychology of Learning in Education and Instruction Group, Institute for Psychology in Education, Department of Psychology, University of Münster Münster, Germany.
Timo
T
Berse
Performance Physiology Group, Institute for Sports Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Münster Münster, Germany.
Kathrin
K
Rolfes
Psychology of Learning in Education and Instruction Group, Institute for Psychology in Education, Department of Psychology, University of Münster Münster, Germany.
Jonathan
J
Barenberg
Psychology of Learning in Education and Instruction Group, Institute for Psychology in Education, Department of Psychology, University of Münster Münster, Germany.
Stephan
S
Dutke
Molecular Neurobiology Group, Department of Neurology, University of Kiel Kiel, Germany.
Gregor
G
Kuhlenbäumer
Performance Physiology Group, Institute for Sports Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Münster Münster, Germany.
Klaus
K
Völker
Department of Social Sciences, Catholic University of Applied Sciences North Rhine-Westphalia Münster, Germany.
Bernward
B
Winter
Genetics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Kiel Kiel, Germany.
Michael
M
Wittig
Preventive and Rehabilitative Neurology at Mauritius Hospital and Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany.
Stefan
S
Knecht
acute intense exercise; adolescents; cognitive flexibility; dopamine; executive functions; gene; physical exercise; shifting