Effect of acute physical exercise on inhibitory control in young adults: High-intensity indoor cycling session

The effects of a short exercise bout on executive functions in healthy older adults

Regular physical activity is associated with healthier brains and improved cognition among older adults. Yet, the impact of a short bout of exercise on older adults' cognition still is not fully clarified. The present study explored the effects of 20 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (on a cycle ergometer) on cognition. Forty-eight healthy older adults were randomly assigned to an exercise or a control group and completed four cognitive tests: Affective Go/No-Go (AGN), Simple Reaction Time (SRT), Spatial Working Memory (SWM) and a Backward Counting task. Tests were administered prior to and immediately after 20 min of cycling (exercise group) or rest (control group). Mixed-design 2 × 2 ANOVAs indicated a significant interaction of Group x Session, for commission errors on the positive valence of the Affective Go/No-go task, indicating that the exercise group performed better on one aspect of this inhibition test after cycling (p = 0.004), while the control group's performance declined after rest. A similar pattern was found for the SWM, with the exercise group showing a significantly better performance after the exercise both for total error (p = 0.027) and the strategy (p = 0.002), while no improvement was observed after rest (controls). The study suggests that inhibitory control functions and working memory may be improved by a single relatively short bout of moderate exercise. However, the null effects of exercise on the other cognitive measures indicate that the neurocognitive benefits of acute exercise for older adults may be selectively sensitive to exercise parameters and to specific aspects of cognition.

Anxiety, inhibitory control, physical activity, and internet addiction in Chinese adolescents: a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

Adolescents may have anxiety due to a series of events such as school work and social interaction. Improper handling of anxiety often leads to some negative consequences, such as Internet addiction. Therefore, this study further explored the relationship between anxiety and Internet addiction, as well as the mediating role of inhibitory control between the two, and also considered the moderating role of physical activity between anxiety and inhibitory control.

METHODS

A total of 1607 adolescents, comprising 664 boys and 943 girls with an average age of 15.86 years (SD = 0.73), from Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, and Hunan provinces completed a self-report survey on physical activity, anxiety, inhibitory control, and Internet addiction. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation test were conducted.

RESULTS

The results revealed a significant positive correlation between anxiety and adolescent internet addiction (r = 0.413, p < 0.001), and a significant negative correlation with inhibitory control (r = -0.423, p < 0.001). Inhibitory control was found to be significantly positively correlated with physical exercise (r = 0.143, p < 0.001) and significantly negatively correlated with internet addiction (r = -0.368, p < 0.001). After controlling for demographic variables, anxiety significantly positively predicted Internet addiction (β = 0.311, p < 0.001) in adolescents, and it also indirectly predicted Internet addiction through inhibitory control (β = -0.231, p < 0.001). Physical activity significantly weakened the predictive effect of anxiety on inhibitory control (β = -0.092, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study further explored the issue of psychological mechanisms between anxiety and Internet addiction in adolescents, and added that physical activity alleviates the negative effects of anxiety on adolescents. Schools and families are encouraged to promote physical exercise among adolescents to alleviate the influence of negative emotions on their psychological and behavioral health.

The relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction among adolescents in western China: a chain mediating model of anxiety and inhibitory control

This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of anxiety and inhibitory control in the relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. A total of 951 adolescents from western China completed a self-report survey assessing physical activity, anxiety, inhibitory control, and IA. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS software and the Process plug-in. Controlling for age, gender, and only child status, the findings revealed a negative association between physical activity and anxiety, inhibitory control, and IA. Moreover, anxiety were positively correlated with inhibitory control and IA. Additionally, anxiety exhibited a positive association with inhibitory control. Notably, physical activity directly and negatively predicted IA in adolescents, while also indirectly predicting it through anxiety and inhibitory control. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the complex effects of physical activity on IA among adolescents.

A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis provide evidence for an effect of acute physical activity on cognition in young adults

Physical exercise is a potential intervention for enhancing cognitive function across the lifespan. However, while studies employing long-term exercise interventions consistently show positive effects on cognition, studies using single acute bouts have produced mixed results. Here, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the impact of acute exercise on cognitive task performance in healthy young adults. A Bayesian hierarchical model quantified probabilistic evidence for a modulatory relationship by synthesizing 651 effect sizes from 113 studies from PsychInfo and Google Scholar representing 4,390 participants. Publication bias was mitigated using the trim-and-fill method. Acute exercise was found to have a small beneficial effect on cognition (g = 0.13 ± 0.04; BF = 3.67) and decrease reaction time. A meta-analysis restricted to executive function tasks revealed improvements in working memory and inhibition. Meta-analytic estimates were consistent across multiple priors and likelihood functions. Physical activities were categorized based on exercise type (e.g., cycling) because many activities have aerobic and anaerobic components, but this approach may limit comparison to studies that categorize activities based on metabolic demands. The current study provides an updated synthesis of the existing literature and insights into the robustness of acute exercise-induced effects on cognition. Funding provided by the United States Army Research Office.