The time course effect of moderate intensity exercise on response execution and response inhibition

• Published in: Brain and cognition Vol. 71; no. 1; pp. 14 - 19
• Main Authors: Joyce, Jennifer, Graydon, Jan, McMorris, Terry, Davranche, Karen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.10.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Applied psychology; Beneficial effect; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Cognitive Processes; Cognitive science; Exercise; Exercise - psychology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Inhibition; Male; Motor Activity; Motor Reactions; Neuropsychological Tests; Neuroscience; Post-exercise; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance; Psychomotor Skills; Reaction Time; Response execution; Response inhibition; Sports. Leisure; Steady-state aerobic exercise; Stop-signal task; Task Analysis; Task Performance and Analysis; Time course effect; Time Factors; Young Adult; Post-exercise; Response inhibition; Steady-state aerobic exercise; Response execution; Stop-signal task; Time course effect; Beneficial effect; Physical exercise; Human; Cognition; Aerobe; Steady state; Inhibition; Time analysis
• ISSN: 0278-2626; 1090-2147; 1090-2147
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2009.03.004

This research aimed to investigate the time course effect of a moderate steady-state exercise session on response execution and response inhibition using a stop-task paradigm. Ten participants performed a stop-signal task whilst cycling at a carefully controlled workload intensity (40% of maximal aerobic power), immediately following exercise and 30 min after exercise cessation. Results showed that moderate exercise enhances a subjects’ ability to execute responses under time pressure (shorter Go reaction time, RT without a change in accuracy) but also enhances a subjects’ ability to withhold ongoing motor responses (shorter stop-signal RT). The present outcomes reveal that the beneficial effect of exercise is neither limited to motor response tasks, nor to cognitive tasks performed during exercise. Beneficial effects of exercise remain present on both response execution and response inhibition performance for up to 52 min after exercise cessation.