Effect of sustained high-intensity exercise on executive function

Abstract

Exercise-induced changes in executive function affect the control of action in a dynamic environment. This study aimed to examine the effect of sustained high-intensity exercise on executive function. Nine healthy male and female participants (age, 21-28 years) completed an exercise session with 65-min treadmill running at 75% V ・ O 2 max. Executive function was assessed before and after exercise with the Stroop Color and Word Test that included congruent and incongruent conditions. The reaction time and response accuracy of the test were measured, and the task difficulty was controlled by adjusting the stimulus duration so that each participant could maintain at least 80% response accuracy to exclude the effect of a speed-accuracy tradeoff. The levels of plasma norepinephrine and adrenocorticotropic hormone were examined. A significant interaction with the reaction time was found (condition × time, P = 0.024), in which the reaction time significantly increased after exercise only in the incongruent condition (P = 0.019). The response accuracy was not significantly different between before and after exercise in both conditions, which indicated that the response accuracy was controlled as intended. The levels of plasma norepinephrine and adrenocorticotropic hormone were significantly increased after exercise (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that the reaction time in the incongruent condition increased after sustained high-intensity exercise with a cognitive function test with the response accuracy controlled, indicating a decline in executive function. Increased levels of plasma norepinephrine and adrenocorticotropic hormone may contribute, at least in part, to such decline in executive function.

Revised Approach to the Role of Fatigue in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses

“…Not surprisingly, athletes with slower baseline cognitive processing speeds (e.g., longer reaction times) demonstrate mechanics that may result in greater ACL loading during execution of unplanned landing and cutting maneuvers [ 67 – 69 ]. Fatigue induced by intense exercise may result in decrements in cognitive processing (indicative of a ‘supraspinal’ effect) [ 70 – 76 ]. In addition, specific cognitive functions, such as concentration, deteriorate when experiencing higher stress levels, decreasing an individual’s ability to perform well in tasks that require high levels of attentional control (being ‘in the game’) [ 77 ].…”

Wakeup Call: Reviewing the Effects of Sleep on Decision-Making in Athletes and Implications for Sports Officials

“…Studies have reported soccer officials attain 86% accuracy in decision-making during competition (Mallo, Frutos, Juarez, & Navarro, 2012), whereas Australian football umpires reported 84% accuracy when awarding free kicks during competition (Elsworthy, Burke, Scott, Stevens, & Dascombe, 2014). Regardless of this need for high-quality officiating and decision-making, recent studies have focused on the physical and cognitive factors underpinning decision-making processes in athletes across sports (Almonroeder, Tighe, Miller, & Lanning, 2018;Konishi et al, 2017;Scanlan, Humphries, Tucker, & Dalbo, 2014). Because the cognitive skills of athletes and sports officials are specific to their roles, the prevailing research on athletes should not be considered completely transferable to sports officials (Williams & Davids, 1995).…”

Influence of Fatigue on Cognitive-Motor Function During Unanticipated Landings

“…14,39,48 Almonroeder et al 3 summarized how exerciseinduced fatigue might decrease cognitive processing, indicating a ''supraspinal effect'' of physical fatigue in addition to its well-known influence at the peripheral (muscular) level. 33 Ultimately, physical fatigue seems to have the potential to produce concurrent detrimental effects on both cognitive and motor function when performing athletic movements with high temporal constraints and applied cognitive loads, as typical during sports. Therefore, the interaction between cognition and fatigue may be an important, but understudied, area for novel clinically relevant approaches to risk screening and injury prevention.…”