Impact of Motor Activity on the Dynamics of Intellectual Working Capacity and Mental Cognitive Processes in Students

Abstract

The aim: To study the impact of physical exercises of different intensity on the dynamics of intellectual working capacity and mental cognitive processes in students. Materials and methods: The research involved 293 students. The research was conducted in 2 stages. The 1st stage involved the study of the level of intellectual activity of students with sufficient (the experimental group, n = 76) and insufficient levels of their motor activity (the control group, n = 217). The 2nd stage provided for the determination of the dynamics of intellectual activity indicators in students (n = 76) before and after physical exercises of different intensity. Results: It was found that students with sufficient motor activity are characterized by significantly better indicators of intellectual working capacity and mental cognitive processes than students with insufficient motor activity. It was found that low-intensity physical exercises of a recreational nature had a more positive effect on intellectual working capacity in the course of training sessions. Conclusions: Organized motor activity and optimal physical exertion both during and after the end of intellectual functioning can directly affect the preser¬vation and improvement of students’ intellectual working capacity.