Exhaustive Exercise Alters Thinking Times in a Tower of London Task in a Time-Dependent Manner

Abstract

Purpose: In contrast to other aspects of executive functions, acute exercise-induced alterations in planning are poorly investigated. While only few studies report improved planning performances after exercise, even less is known about their time course after exhaustive exercise.Methods: One hundred and nineteen healthy adults performed the Tower of London (ToL) task at baseline, followed by a graded exercise test (GXT). Participants were subsequently randomized into one of four groups (immediately, 30, 60, and 90 min after the GXT) to repeat the ToL. Main outcomes of the ToL were planning (number of tasks completed in the minimum number of moves), solutions (correct responses independent of the given number of moves) as well as thinking times (time between presentation of each problem and first action) for tasks with varying difficulty (four-, five,- and six-move problems). Blood lactate levels were analyzed as a potential mediator.Results: No effect of exercise on planning could be detected. In contrast to complex problem conditions, median thinking times deteriorated significantly in the immediately after GXT tested group in less challenging problem conditions (four-move problems: p = 0.001, F = 5.933, df = 3; five-move problems: p = 0.005, F = 4.548, df = 3). Decreased lactate elimination rates were associated with impaired median thinking times across all groups ΔMTT4-6 (p = 0.001, r = −0.309), ΔMTT4 (p < 0.001, r = −0.367), and ΔMTT5 (p = 0.001, r = −0.290).Conclusion: These results suggest that planning does not improve within 90 min after exhaustive exercise. In line with previous research, revealing a negative impact of exhaustive exercise on memory and attention, our study extends this knowledge of exercise-induced alterations in cognitive functioning as thinking times as subcomponents of planning are negatively affected immediately after exercise. This is further associated with peripheral lactate levels.

The Acute Effect of High-Intensity Exercise on Executive Function: A Meta-Analysis

“…We chose not to analyze tests beyond the first repetition (i.e., posttest) to reduce confounds from practice effects. Recent studies examining the influence of test timing have strived to control practice effects; for example, Zimmer et al (2017) randomly assigned participants to multiple groups with only one posttest session, which was scheduled at a different time after exercise (0, 30, 60, and 90 min). They found a moderating effect of test timing on cognitive performance, with a detrimental effect of high-intensity exercise on executive function at the earlier (0, 30 min) but not the later (60, 90 min) time points.…”

“…They found a moderating effect of test timing on cognitive performance, with a detrimental effect of high-intensity exercise on executive function at the earlier (0, 30 min) but not the later (60, 90 min) time points. Furthermore, performance decline was correlated with blood-lactate concentrations, suggesting that the observed cognitive effects might be mediated by physiological variables (Zimmer et al, 2017).…”

Sensing of nutrients by CPT1C controls SAC1 activity to regulate AMPA receptor trafficking

“…Pathological conditions that undergo with deficits in energy supply to the brain have been associated with impaired cognitive performance. Examples of this are severe undernutrition in anorexic patients (reviewed by Beilharz et al, 2015 ), exhaustive exercise ( Rosa et al, 2007 ; Zimmer et al, 2017 ), brain metabolic hypoactivity in Alzheimer’s disease, and sleep deprivation ( Dworak et al, 2010 ; Nikonova et al, 2010 ). Recent integrative analyses drawing on multiple sources of data imply that AMPAR trafficking is one of the crucial determinants underlying the negative effects of insufficient sleep ( Diessler et al, 2018 ).…”

Effects of Exercise Training Interventions on Executive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…inhibition, updating/working memory, switching) for older populations [46]. Additionally, several cross-sectional and intervention studies have shown a positive relationship between exercise training interventions and planning in children [47][48][49][50], suggesting the possibility that exercise training interventions may also benefit from planning in an older population.…”