The Changes Of Executive Function During Low-intensity Exercise Among Young Adults

Aim: To investigate the variation of executive function(EF)in the process of low-intensity exercise among young adults and the changes in cortical activity.Method: In a randomized cross-over design,35 young adults(21.4±2.6yr)performed low-intensity cycling and sitting in randomized order on sperate days,while completing EF tests.EF was assessed by Flanker task(inhibitory control),Task Switch task(cognition flexibility),and f NIRS(blood-oxygen).RT and accuracy of behavioral performance was analyzed by paired t-test.Results: The behavioral results showed that there was no difference in Stroop interference between sitting and cycling(112.61±136.66 vs.136.57±122.24,p>0.05).The f NIRS results showed that,compared with sitting condition,the oxy-Hb in response to Stroop interference in Channel 5,10 and 12 was decreased during the cycling condition(p<0.05).The three channels were located at frontopolar area and left-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.The behavioral results of Task switch showed that the global switch costs on reaction time and accuracy were not significantly between cycling and sitting conditions(p>0.05).Similarly,the oxy-Hb in all channels related to Task switch was also not different between the conditions(p>0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest that low-intensity cycling may not interfere with the behavioral performance on executive function among young adults;however,the cognitive resources for performing executive function may be reduced during the cycling condition.