Beside its positive impact on physical health, exercise is indicated to positively affect cognitive performance based on a relocation of cortical activity. This study examined the influence of different types of breaks on cognitive performance and related cortical activity in office-based employees. Breaks were filled with exercise, resting or a usual break and a control condition where employees continued working without any break. Cognitive performance was assessed using the d2-R test and two commercially available cognitive tasks. Brain cortical activity was recorded using electroencephalography before and after breaks. Individual's mood was analysed using a profile of mood state. Results indicate a positive effect of a 3-min boxing intervention on cognitive performance, mirrored by a decrease in prefrontal cortex activity. Although perceived psychological state was increased after the usual break, this is reflected in neither cortical activity nor cognitive performance. With respect to the fact that also bike activity resulted an increase in prefrontal alpha-2 activity, a positive effect of exercise on neuro-cognitive performance can be stated. Health and economic benefits may result from brief physical activity breaks and help to maintain workplace performance and job satisfaction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recently, virtual environments (VEs) are suggested to encourage users to exercise regularly. The benefits of chronic exercise on cognitive performance are well documented in non-VE neurophysiological and behavioural studies. Based on event-related potentials (ERP) such as the N200 and P300, cognitive processing may be interpreted on a neuronal level. However, exercise-related neuroelectric adaptation in VE remains widely unclear and thus characterizes the primary aim of the present study. Twenty-two healthy participants performed active (moderate cycling exercise) and passive (no exercise) sessions in three VEs (control, front, surround), each generating a different sense of presence. Within sessions, conditions were randomly assigned, each lasting 5 min and including a choice reaction-time task to assess cognitive performance. According to the international 10:20 system, EEG with real-time triggered stimulus onset was recorded, and peaks of N200 and P300 components (amplitude, latency) were exported for analysis. Heart rate was recorded, and sense of presence assessed prior to and following each session and condition. Results revealed an increase in ERP amplitudes (N200: p < 0.001; P300: p < 0.001) and latencies (N200: p < 0.001) that were most pronounced over fronto-central and occipital electrode sites relative to an increased sense of presence (p < 0.001); however, ERP were not modulated by exercise (each p > 0.05). Hypothesized to mirror cognitive processing, decreases of cognitive performance's accuracy and reaction time failed significance. With respect to previous research, the present neuroelectric adaptation gives reason to believe in compensative neuronal resources that balance demanding cognitive processing in VE to avoid behavioural inefficiency.

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