Effects of Acute High-Intensity Interval Training on Information Processing Speed

This study investigated the effects of acute exercise on reaction time (RT), premotor time (i.e., central processing), and motor time (i.e., peripheral processing) using surface electromyography to fractionate RT. Fifty-eight young adults (27 men, 31 women) between the age of 18 and 40 years participated in 2 testing sessions. During visit one, subjects performed a simple RT task under regular (i.e., consistent timing) and irregular (i.e., variable timing) foreperiods. Subjects were then randomized to either an aerobic-only high-intensity interval training (HIIT) group (HIIT-A), an aerobic/resistance HIIT group (HIIT-AR), or a resting control group (CG). Both exercise groups performed a 20-minute, digital video disc-delivered HIIT exercise protocol. After exercise or rest, when controlling for cardiovascular fitness, no statistical differences were observed for the regular foreperiod conditions (p> 0.05). For the irregular foreperiod conditions, the HIIT-A group (M = 219.8, SE = 6.5) and the HIIT-AR group (M = 218.2, SE = 5.8) had significantly faster mean RTs than the CG (M = 248.1, SE = 8.1). In addition, the HIIT-A (M = 172.1, SE = 4.6) and HIIT-AR exercise groups (M = 171.3, SE = 4.8) had significantly faster mean PMTs than the CG (M = 189.7, SE = 5.7). These findings suggest that tasks dependent on central processing may benefit from an acute bout of exercise.
Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Original Research Source Type: research