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The relationship between exercise intensity, cerebral oxygenation and cognitive performance in young adults

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess the relationship between exercise intensity, cerebral HbO2 and cognitive performance (Executive and non-Executive) in young adults.

Methods

We measured reaction time (RT) and accuracy, during a computerized Stroop task, in 19 young adults (7 males and 12 females). Their mean ± SD age, height, body mass and body mass index (BMI) were 24 ± 4 years, 1.67 ± 0.07 m, 72 ± 14 kg and 25 ± 3 kg m−2, respectively. Each subject performed the Stroop task at rest and during cycling at exercise of low intensity [40 % of peak power output (PPO)], moderate intensity (60 % of PPO) and high intensity (85 % of PPO). Cerebral oxygenation was monitored during the resting and exercise conditions over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Results

High-intensity exercise slowed RT in both the Naming (p = 0.04) and the Executive condition (p = 0.04). The analysis also revealed that high-intensity exercise was associated with a decreased accuracy when compared to low-intensity exercise (p = 0.021). Neuroimaging results confirm a decrease of cerebral oxygenation during high-intensity exercise in comparison to low- (p = 0.004) and moderate-intensity exercise (p = 0.003). Correlations revealed that a lower cerebral HbO2 in the prefrontal cortex was associated with slower RT in the Executive condition only (p = 0.04, g = −0.72).

Conclusion

Results of the present study suggest that low to moderate exercise intensity does not alter Executive functioning, but that exercise impairs cognitive functions (Executive and non-Executive) when the physical workload becomes heavy. The cerebral HbO2 correlation suggests that a lower availability of HbO2 was associated with slower RT in the Executive condition only.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

BMI:

Body mass index

C02 :

Carbon dioxide

CBF:

Cerebral blood flow

CBF:

Cerebral blood flow

fNIRS:

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy

GLM:

General linear model

HbO:

Oxy-hemoglobin

HbR:

Deoxy-hemoglobin

HbT:

Total hemoglobin

HPF:

High pass filter

MICE:

Moderate-intensity continuous exercise

NIRS:

Near-infrared spectroscopy

PaCO2 :

CO2 arterial pressure

PFC:

Prefrontal cortex

PPO:

Peak power output

Ra:

Respiratory alkalosis

RA:

Respiratory acidosis

RCT:

Respiratory compensation threshold

RT:

Reaction time

SD:

Standard deviation

THT:

Transient hypofrontality theory

\( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2} \) :

Oxygen uptake

W:

Watts

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Conflict of interest

The authors of this paper have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Laboratoire LESCA, 4565, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, H3W 1W5, QC, Canada

    Saïd Mekari, Sarah Fraser, Laurent Bosquet, Clément Bonnéry, Véronique Labelle & Louis Bherer

  2. Département de Kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, H3C 3J7, QC, Canada

    Saïd Mekari & Laurent Bosquet

  3. Département de Psychologie, Université de Québec à Montreal, C.P. 8888 succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, QC, Canada

    Sarah Fraser & Véronique Labelle

  4. Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Laboratoire MOVE (EA 6314), Université de Poitiers, 8, allée Jean Monnet, 86000, Poitiers, France

    Laurent Bosquet

  5. Département de Génie Biomédical, École Polytechnique, CP 6079, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, H3C 3A7, QC, Canada

    Clément Bonnéry, Philippe Pouliot & Frédéric Lesage

  6. Centre de recherche, Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal, 5000, rue Bélanger, Montréal, H1T 1C8, QC, Canada

    Philippe Pouliot & Frédéric Lesage

  7. PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, 7200 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada

    Louis Bherer

Authors
  1. Saïd Mekari
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  2. Sarah Fraser
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  3. Laurent Bosquet
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  4. Clément Bonnéry
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  5. Véronique Labelle
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  8. Louis Bherer
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Correspondence to Saïd Mekari.

Additional information

Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Mekari, S., Fraser, S., Bosquet, L. et al. The relationship between exercise intensity, cerebral oxygenation and cognitive performance in young adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 2189–2197 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3199-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3199-4

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