Relationships between catecholamine or 3-methoxy 4-hydroxy phenylglycol changes and the mental performance under submaximal exercise in man

Abstract

Eleven young students were tested to determine the relationship between the improvement of mental performances observed under prolonged submaximal work and central or peripheral catecholamine changes. The subjects pedaled a bicycle ergometer for 1 h at a work load individually calculated to approximate 75% of maximal oxygen uptake. The mental test, consisting of 1-h sessions of time-limited word tests and arithmetical calculations, required a high degree of concentration (vigilance and short-term memory). Catecholamines [epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA)], metanephrine (MN), normetanephrine (NMN) and the glucuronide conjugate of 3-methoxy 4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were assayed in urine to assess peripheral activity: E and MN as indexes of adrenomedullary secretion, NE, NMN and MHPG glucuronide as markers of NE metabolism in sympathetic nerves. Urinary MHPG sulfate was determined as a possible marker of central noradrenergic metabolism. When compared to the effect of single tests, the combination of prolonged submaximal work and mental task induced significant increases in MHPG sulfate and E + MN excretions. Both these increases were correlated each to one another and also correlated to the number of discriminated words. Altogether, the present data show that prolonged submaximal work under mental load activates catecholamine systems and suggest that a relationship exists between adrenomedullary activation and the improvement of mental performance. Based on literature data, the possible modulatory role of peripheral E on mental processes and central noradrenergic activity is discussed.

Acute exercise performed close to the anaerobic threshold improves cognitive performance in elderly females

“…This interval was defined on the basis of pre-testing assessments showing that 8 min were sufficient to reduce the HR of each subject to baseline levels. Although there is no consensus on how physical activity close to AT improves the speed of cognitive processing, it has been suggested that the concentration of central and peripheral catecholamines in response to aerobic exercise is associated with the activation of the central nervous system (37) and with improved performance in the time of response tests (38). Considered that, interpretation of the present results can rely on the assumption that increased circulating adrenaline induced by physical activity triggers significant cognitive changes in humans.…”

Mental Workload under Time Pressure can Trigger Frequent Hot Flashes in Menopausal Women

“…Core body temperature was not measured in this study, but its elevation can be inferred from elevated chest and finger skin temperatures indicating heat dissipation. Previous studies showed that mental arithmetic tasks lead to activation of the central sympathetic nervous system 12,13) . This suggests that the mental workload that activates the central sympathetic nervous system may be a risk factor for hot flashes.…”

Facilitating effects of exercise on information processing

“…According to previous studies, the beneficial effect of moderate exercise is probably linked to physiological and neurophysiological changes (for a review, see McMorris and Graydon, 2000). Indeed, an association between the concentration of central catecholamines and central nervous system (CNS) activation in exercising men has been suggested by Peyrin et al (1987). These authors claimed that mental improvement during exercise may be the consequence of central noradrenergic activation.…”