AUTHOR=Dufner Trevor J. , Moon Jessica M. , Wells Adam J. 

TITLE=Cycle-based high-intensity sprint exercise elicits acute cognitive dysfunction in psychomotor and memory task performance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cognition

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cognition/articles/10.3389/fcogn.2024.1419734

DOI=10.3389/fcogn.2024.1419734

ISSN=2813-4532

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Purpose</title><p>To examine the impact of an acute high-intensity sprint exercise protocol (HISEP) for eliciting post-exercise cognitive dysfunction in psychomotor, attentional, executive, and memory tasks.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Twenty-four recreationally active adults (22 ± 4 yrs, 169.39 ± 10.07 cm, 75.80 ± 14.73 kg, 27.03 ± 9.55 BF%) performed a HISEP on a cycle ergometer. Average psychomotor reaction time (avgRT; Dynavision D2 Mode A &amp; Mode B), mood (Profile of Mood States Questionnaire; POMS), and cognition (Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics; ANAM) were assessed pre- (PRE), post- (POST) and 60-min post (60POST) HISEP. One-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to assess changes across time.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Fatigue (main effect: <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.309) was significantly higher at POST compared to PRE (<italic>p</italic> = 0.007). Tension (main effect: <italic>p</italic> = 0.021, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.154) was significantly lower at 60POST compared to PRE (<italic>p</italic> = 0.029). Mode A avgRT (main effect: <italic>p</italic> = 0.022, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.153) was significantly slower at POST compared to PRE (<italic>p</italic> = 0.026). Throughput (TP) scores for ANAM code substitution-delayed (CSD) task (main effect: <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.284) and matching to sample (M2S) tasks (main effect: <italic>p</italic> = 0.014, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M5" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.169) were significantly lower at POST compared to PRE (<italic>p</italic> = 0.001 and <italic>p</italic> = 0.025, respectively), while mathematical processing (main effect: <italic>p</italic> = 0.002, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M6" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.232) was significantly higher at 60POST compared to both PRE (<italic>p</italic> = 0.019) and POST (<italic>p</italic> = 0.005). No other significant changes in cognitive task performance were observed (<italic>p</italic>'s &gt; 0.05).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>The HISEP is a feasible and time-effective fatiguing exercise stimulus capable of eliciting acute cognitive dysfunction in psychomotor and memory task performance. NCT05100589.</p></sec>