Cognitive performance appears to be impaired during high-intensity exercise, and this occurs concurrently with a reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF). However, it is unclear whether cognitive impairment during high-intensity exercise is associated with reduced CBF. We tested the hypothesis that a reduction in CBF is responsible for impaired cognitive performance during high-intensity exercise. Methods: Using a randomized crossover design seventeen healthy males performed spatial delayedresponse (DR) and Go/No-Go tasks in three conditions [Exercise (EX), Exercise+CO2 (EX+CO2), and a non-exercising Control (CON)]. In the EX and EX+CO2, they performed cognitive tasks at rest and during 8-mins of moderate and high-intensity exercise. Exercise intensity corresponded to ~50% (moderate) and ~80% (high) of peak oxygen uptake. In the EX+CO2, the participants inspired hypercapnic gas (2% CO2) during high-intensity exercise. In the CON, they performed the cognitive tasks without exercise. Results: Middle cerebral artery mean velocity (MCAv) increased during highintensity exercise in the EX+CO2 relative to the EX [69.4 (10.6) cm. s-1 , vs. 57.2 (7.7) cm. s-1 , P < 0.001]. Accuracy of the cognitive tasks was impaired during high-intensity exercise in the EX [84.1 (13.3) %, P < 0.05] and the EX+CO2 [85.7 (11.6) %, P < 0.05] relative to rest [EX: 95.1 (5.3) %, EX+CO2: 95.1 (5.3) %]. However, no differences between the EX and the EX+CO2 were observed (P > 0.10). These results demonstrate that restored CBF did not prevent cognitive impairment during high-intensity exercise. Conclusion: We conclude that a reduction in CBF is not responsible for impaired cognitive performance during high-intensity exercise.

The role of peripheral biomarkers following acute physical exercise on cognitive improvement has not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to explore the role of peripheral circulating biomarkers in executive performance following acute aerobic and resistance exercise. Nineteen healthy males completed a central executive (Go/No-Go) task before and after 30-min of perceived intensity matched aerobic and resistance exercise. In the aerobic condition, the participants cycled an ergometer at 40% peak oxygen uptake. In the resistance condition, they performed resistance exercise using elastic bands. Before and after an acute bout of physical exercise, venous samples were collected for the assessment of following biomarkers: adrenaline, noradrenaline, glucose, lactate, cortisol, insulin-like growth hormone factor 1, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Reaction time decreased following both aerobic exercise and resistance exercise (p = 0.04). Repeated measures correlation analysis indicated that changes in reaction time were not associated with the peripheral biomarkers (all p &gt; 0.05). Accuracy tended to decrease in the resistance exercise condition (p = 0.054). Accuracy was associated with changes in adrenaline [rrm(18) = −0.51, p = 0.023], noradrenaline [rrm(18) = −0.66, p = 0.002], lactate [rrm(18) = −0.47, p = 0.035], and brain-derived neurotrophic factor [rrm(17) = −0.47, p = 0.044] in the resistance condition. These findings suggest that these peripheral biomarkers do not directly contribute to reduction in reaction time following aerobic or resistance exercise. However, greater sympathoexcitation, reflected by greater increase in noradrenaline, may be associated with a tendency for a reduction in accuracy after acute resistance exercise.

A low-frequency to a high-frequency component ratio (LF/HF) in heart rate variability (HRV) may not accurately reflect sympathetic nervous activity during exercise. Thus, a valid HRV-based index of sympathetic nervous activity is needed. Therefore, the heart rate to LF ratio (Heart rate/ LF) was evaluated as sympathetic nervous activity index which is reflected by catecholamine levels during incremental exercise. In this study, 15 healthy adults performed an incremental exercise test using a cycle ergometer. HRV was derived from electrocardiography and HRV components related to the autonomic nervous system were obtained using frequency analysis. Heart rate/LF was calculated using the heart rate and LF component produced by HRV analysis. Catecholamine, blood lactate levels and respiratory gas were also measured throughout the exercise test. While LF/HF did not increase with increasing exercise intensity, Heart rate/LF nonlinearly increased during the incremental exercise test, as did noradrenaline and blood lactate. Interestingly, Heart rate/LF values were positively correlated with noradrenaline (ρ = 0.788, p < 0.05) and blood lactate (ρ = 0.802, p < 0.05) levels and carbon dioxide production (ρ = 0.903, p < 0.05) from at rest through the exercise stages. Heart rate/LF reflects sympathetic nervous activity and metabolic responses during incremental cycling exercise and has potential as an HRV index of sympathetic nervous activity during exercise.Trial registration: UMIN Japan identifier: UMIN000039639.

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Ultra-short-term heart rate variability (HRV) has been validated in the resting state, but its validity during exercise is unclear. This study aimed to examine the validity in ultra-short-term HRV during exercise considering the different exercise intensities. HRVs of twenty-nine healthy adults were measured during incremental cycle exercise tests. HRV parameters (Time-, frequency-domain and non-linear) corresponding to each of the 20% (low), 50% (moderate), and 80% (high) peak oxygen uptakes were compared between the different time segments of HRV analysis (180 s (sec) segment vs. 30, 60, 90, and 120-sec segments). Overall, the differences (bias) between ultra-short-term HRVs increased as the time segment became shorter. In moderate- and high-intensity exercises, the differences in ultra-short-term HRV were more significant than in low intensity exercise. Thus, we discovered that the validity of ultra-short-term HRV differed with the duration of the time segment and exercise intensities. However, the ultra-short-term HRV is feasible in the cycling exercise, and we determined some optimal time duration for HRV analysis for across exercise intensities during the incremental cycling exercise.