EEG alpha and theta oscillatory responses to a Go/NoGo task performed during submaximal exercise at light, moderate and hard intensities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.331Keywords:
Cognition, Executive Function, Cognitive Control, Exercise, Physical Activity, Exercise Intensity, Rating of Perceived Effort (RPE), Electroencephalography (EEG), Brain FunctionAbstract
The aim of the experiment was to investigate changes to behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of selective attention and response inhibition due to simultaneous performance of exercise at light, moderate and hard intensities. Twenty-eight healthy active and right-hand dominant adults (16 Females, 24.1 ± 4.7 years), performed a Go/NoGo task and had EEG recordings taken during submaximal aerobic exercise on a stationary cycle ergometer at light, moderate and hard perceived intensity levels. In contrast to previous reports of cognitive decrements during high intensity exercise and increasing frontal alpha power with increased exercise intensity, the effect of exercise intensity was not significant in linear mixed effects modelling of Go/NoGo task accuracy, response times and frontal alpha and theta power. The experiment also explored resting state individual alpha frequency as a marker of cognitive control during exercise but found no significant associations with Go/NoGo performance or frontal activity. Methodological differences related to exercise intensity may explain the divergence between present and previously reported findings. Specifically, there was incongruence in ratings of perceived exertion between the graded exercise test and Go/NoGo performance conditions for light, moderate and hard intensity conditions. Future investigations should employ more complex cognitive tasks and more reliable approaches to determining individual workloads for exercise intensity conditions.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Sabrina Sghirripa, Noah d’Unienville, Alex Chatburn, Philip Temby, David Crone, Marissa Bond, Matthias Schlesewsky, Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Maarten Immink (Author)
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