An acute bout of localized resistance exercise can rapidly improve inhibitory control

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 12; no. 9; p. e0184075
• Main Authors: Tsukamoto, Hayato, Suga, Tadashi, Takenaka, Saki, Takeuchi, Tatsuya, Tanaka, Daichi, Hamaoka, Takafumi, Hashimoto, Takeshi, Isaka, Tadao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 06.09.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Aerobics; Alzheimer's disease; Analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain research; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Color; Executive Function; Executive function (Psychology); Exercise; Health aspects; Humans; Inhibition (Psychology); Inpatient care; Knee; Luminous intensity; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Physical Exertion; Physical fitness; Physical Sciences; Physiology; Prognosis; Regulatory sequences; Research and Analysis Methods; Resistance Training; Strength training; Stroop Test; Studies; Type 2 diabetes; Wellness programs; Young Adult; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184075

The positive effect of acute resistance exercise on executive function, such as inhibitory control (IC), is poorly understood. Several previous studies have demonstrated this effect using whole-body resistance exercise. However, it remains unclear whether localized resistance exercise performed using only limited muscle groups could also acutely improve IC. Thus, the present study examined the effect of an acute bout of localized resistance exercise on IC. Twelve healthy men performed a color-word Stroop task (CWST) before and immediately after the experimental conditions, which consisted of 2 resistance exercises and a resting control (CON). Bilateral knee extension was used to create 2 resistance exercise conditions: light-intensity resistance exercise (LRE) and high-intensity resistance exercise (HRE) conditions, which were 40% and 80% of one-repetition maximum, respectively. The resistance exercise session was programmed for 6 sets with 10 repetitions per set. The CWST-measured IC was significantly improved immediately after both LRE and HRE, but it did not improve immediately after CON. However, the improved IC was significantly greater in HRE than in LRE. The present findings showed that IC could be rapidly improved by an acute bout of localized resistance exercise, especially with high-intensity. Therefore, we suggest that in addition to whole-body resistance exercise, localized resistance exercise performed using limited muscle groups may be sufficient for improving IC.