The Influence of Acute Sprint Interval Training on Cognitive Performance of Healthy Younger Adults

Abstract

Considerable evidence has been accumulated showing that an acute bout of physical exercise can improve cognitive performance but the optimal exercise characteristics (e.g., exercise type and intensity) remain elusive. In this regard, there is a gap in the literature to which extent Sprint Interval Training (SIT) can enhance cognitive performance. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of SIT on cognitive performance. We assessed in healthy younger adults (n = 19; 20.0 to 28.0 years old), the attentional performance (via d2 test), the working memory performance (via Digit Span Forward/ Backward) and the peripheral blood lactate concentration immediately before and 10 minutes after an exercise condition (SIT) and a control condition (i.e., reading). We observed that SIT can enhance specific aspects of attentional performance as it improved F% (t (19) = -2.249, p = 0.037, d = − 0.516) which constitutes a qualitative measure of precision and thoroughness. However, SIT did not change other measures of attentional or working memory performance. In addition, we observed that the exercise-induced increase in peripheral blood lactate levels correlated with changes in attentional performance (e.g., F% (rm = -0.54, p = 0.015)). The present study provides initial evidence that a time-efficient SIT can improve specific aspects of attentional performance and conforming evidence for a positive link between cognitive improvements and changes in peripheral blood lactate levels. Further research is warranted to substantiate our findings by investigating (i) the optimal exercise characteristics (e.g., number of sprints), (ii) further neurobiological mechanisms driving the cognitive improvements (e.g., changes in functional brain activation patterns), and (iii) the generalizability of the effects (e.g., older adults).

The effects of acute high-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive performance: A structured narrative review

“…In contrast, blood lactate substantially increases during/after high-intensity exercise, and it is taken up by the brain Gonzalez-Alonso et al, 2004;Quistorff et al, 2008;Siebenmann et al, 2021). Several studies suggested that blood lactate would provide energy that contributes to improvements in cognitive performance following HIIE (Tsukamoto et al, 2016;Hashimoto et al, 2018;Herold et al, 2022). In particular, Hashimoto et al (2018) directly measured lactate uptake in the brain after HIIE and suggested that lactate production in extra-cerebral tissues supports brain function.…”